Sly Cooper and the Thievius Raccoonus
by Rioichi Cooper
Summary: For disclaimer : I do not own Sly Cooper or any of their Characters. (Yaoi Fan Fiction) Hello nice folks, I'm here happy to present a new beginning. This time Mercury (an OC of mine) is with the gang from the very start. It features more backstory, showing how he got into the gang and ended up in the military. (Missions in the military are signed with 'Backstory')
1. A Bunch Of Thieves

**Sly Cooper and the Thievius Raccoonus  
(Yaoi Fan Fiction)  
**  
 **For disclaimer : I do not own Sly Cooper or any of their Characters.**

The Eiffel tower was shining, it's light brightening up the night sky. It was quiet around this part of town, with one exception. A black silhouette was running across the roof tops, jumping from one to the other. It sneaked it's way past a lit up window, reaching it's destination, standing on the rooftop of the Police station.

"Sly! Come in! Sly! Do you read me?", Sly's hands clamped on his head, searching around to adjust the volume. One hand still on his head, near the adjuster, he answered, "Yeah, I read you. Loud and... very loud.". Pulling out his Binocucom, he finally got to see the turtle himself.

"Sorry, I'm a little nervous. Trying to break into police headquarters does that.", Sly saw him fidgeting around, adjusting the camera. "Get over it, Bentley. You're safe in the van. I'm the thief here – I've got to steal that file from Inspector Carmelita Fox.", and it was clear this wouldn't be as easy as it sounds, as Police sirens were always audible in the distance.

Bentley moved around in the van, starting to scan through the building, "Well, count on me to be your eyes and ears, buddy. Got their security system totally scoped.". Sly could see Bentley toy around with his laptop as he continued, "To get inside, you're gonna have to go through that air vent.", and activated a marker for Sly to see through the Binocucom.

Sly zoomed in on the vent, inspecting it for a moment. "Alright, I'm going in.", before he could stuff the Binocucom away, Murray got on the camera. "And don't forget you got me at the wheels, Sly. All you got to do is grab the file and get back to the van. We'll do the rest.", Sly slightly smiled to himself, as his hippo friend made it sound easier than it actually is.

"Just keep the engine running, Murray. I'll be down in no time.", Sly put the Binocucom in his backpack, focusing his attention on the air duct. As Sly looked for a way to get up to the vent, he started climbing the police buildings water collector. He came to an abrupt halt, spotting something at his feet, "Hey Bentley, I think I'm seeing things. Must be vertigo or something. Can you see those crazy blue lights?", he blinked a few times, making sure he isn't going crazy.

"Really? I've read about this. Master raccoon thieves are able to sense thieving opportunities which manifest themselves as unexplainable blue auras. According to my research, all you have to do is get near them and hold down the circle button, and you should perform a super sneaky master thief move.", that was a lot to understand, as Sly scratched his neck and moved closer to the blue aura.

Sure enough he got even closer, looking through his Binocucom, "Hold down the circle button near the blue auras. I'm on it.". Sly followed Bentley's instructions, and ended up with his back against the wall, as he sneakily moved along side it to another platform. He smiled at his triumph, as he kept going and jumped from a wide enough antenna to the vent.

As Sly stood in front of the shut air vent, Bentley called through the Binocucom, "Try hitting the square button to break things.". Sly looked at his cane, doing as Bentley said, as he hit it repeatedly. Now having an entrance Sly smiled to himself, as he moved in through the vent. At the end of the vent he could already hear a weird buzzing sound, coming his way. He stopped at the end, looking towards the bottom of an elevator shaft, spotting several beams crossing the room.

"Be extra careful here, Sly. Break one of those laser beams and you will set of the alarms – not to mention you'll be fried to a crisp.", enjoying the challenge, he moved down expertly, dodging the laser beams with ease. He made sure to hit the circuit box at the bottom, deactivating any further lasers ahead and opening his path onward.

With sure steps, Sly tread through the halls of the police station. "Nice job, you're in. Inspector Carmelita Fox's office is behind the red door.", Bentley watched him through the security feed, seeing him turn at the corner to find it. Going for the doorknob and turning it did nothing. He wondered if he should hit it, but was stopped by Bentley, "That door must be super reinforced, Sly. Maybe there's a way to get around it."

Sly looked around, spotting the open window next to him. With light steps he went on the balcony, seeing an open window which would give him access to the office. Once again seeing the blue aura, he got up to the wall and sneaked across. He kept his head on the goal, feeling the stone beneath his feet crumble, some even breaking off. But thankfully he reached the end, having made it into the office.

Sly looked upon Miss Carmelita Fox's work, one could say she had an obsession with his case. Several posters of him strewn across her room. He simply smiled at himself, thinking of it in a way, that she adores him. He moved in closer to a big vault, standing near a wooden table. "Way to go, Sly. This is where Inspector Carmelita Fox stashed all her important files. I hacked into the police security mainframe and discovered this vault's combo. Try dialing in 9-3-7.", sure enough, the vault made a clicking noise, as Sly jumped and hit the valve to gain access.

It opened before him, as he got to see inside the safe, spotting his file. He quickly grabbed it, inspecting it a little closer. "Nice job – you got it! If you come down through the fire escape and head through the parking lot, we'll be waiting in the getaway van.", stuffing the file into his backpack, he left Miss Carmelita Fox a little present in her safe in form of a raccoon head. Sly stuck his head through the fire escapes window. After spotting no witnesses, he jumped out, moving closer to the edge.

"Criminal!", Sly heard a distant shout, making him look around again. He saw Inspector Fox jumping across the rooftop, coming closer with a furious expression. "You foolish raccoon! I've caught you red-handed!", Sly's lips formed a bright smile, inspecting Miss Fox closer. "Ahh... Carmelita... I haven't seen you since I gave you the slip in Bombay.", Inspector Fox came closer, jumping onto a neon sign close to the fire escape.

"Which reminds me – you need to return the Fire Stone of India to its rightful owners.", Carmelita checked her shock pistol, eyeing the raccoon closely. "Aw, and I was going to give it to you as a little token of my – hey, you know that bazooka really brings out the color of your eyes. Very fetching!", Sly moved closer with a big smile covering his lips.

"You think? This pistol packs a paralyzing punch. You ought to try it. Might snap you out of your crime spree.", Sly chuckled to himself, crossing his arms. "And give up our little rendezvous?", Sly knew time was of the essence, Miss Fox wasn't going to stay this calm forever. "Plenty of time for that once you are safely behind bars.", and sure enough, she took aim of him, ready to shoot.

"Love to stick around and chat, but I just dropped by to pick up this case file. I think you've had it long enough.", as soon as he was done talking, he could already hear the buzzing sound. Carmelita's pistol really packed a punch just like she said, as the whole fire escape shook at the impact. Sly tried his best to steady himself, running along the steps to descend to the parking lot. The getaway van was right there!

Well... behind all the police cars parked here. Sly made his way through, evading the shots the Inspector fired at him. Police car after police car next to him went up in flames, as he rushed right past them towards the van. Almost there... and finally Sly reached the van, jumping into the open set of door, shutting them behind him. As they drove off he could slightly make out a shout, "You can't escape me raccoon!". Well, he kind of did. Again.

 **-[Sly's History]-**

"Once again my gang and I had given Inspector Carmelita Fox the slip. I was surprised to see how well she took it. Finally the secret police file I had been searching for all these years. With this I could avenge my family and regain possession of our most valued treasure.

It all began when I was just a kid, bouncing on my father's knee. You see, I come from a long line of master thieves, who kept all their secrets of sneaking and stealing in an ancient book. The Thievius Raccoonus. Anyone who read it learned to be especially sneaky, which is why we specialize in stealing from criminals. After all there is no honor, no challenge, no fun stealing from ordinary people. You rip of a master criminal and you know... you're a master thief.

Well on the night I was supposed to inherit the book five visitors came unannounced to our door. My father fought to protect us, but the gang of villains known as the fiendish five overpowered him and ransacked our house until they found, the Thievius Raccoonus. Our family's manual of thieving greatness fell into their filthy hands.

They tore the book into five pieces and split it up, each villain disappearing to the farthest corners of the world to commit dastardly crimes.

Broke and alone I was dumped at the town orphanage. There I met three guys who became my life long buddies and trusted crew. Bentley, techno genius and strategist supreme. Murray, part-time driver and full-time burden. And lastly... well, you'll see him soon enough.

Together we pledged to track down the fiendish five, avenge my father and steal back the Thievius Raccoonus. I knew I was about to face the toughest test of my life. On this mission I would either become a master thief like my ancestors before me or fail and allow my family name to bite the dust."

 **-[Present]-**

Murray parked the van in the garage, while Bentley and Sly already went into their hideout. The turtle sat down at his desk, working on his computer. Getting a little bit of rest, Sly also sat down nearby. "That was a nice piece of work back there at police headquarters, Sly.", the raccoon smiled, leaning back into his chair.

"Inspector Fox's appearance was definitely not part of the plan, but I'm glad it worked out.", Sly moved closer to Bentley, standing beside him to see what he was working on. "Any clues to where he might be?", Sly saw Bentley work his magic, as the screen showed some explicit photos. Sly inspected them, smiling at the chance to finally see him again.

"I don't want to trash on the findings, but these are old photos, Sly. Meaning they might have already relocated him.", Sly moved back, scratching his neck. "And you are suggesting that we...?", Sly looked at the turtle inquiringly. "We have no clue, as to what their intentions are, what they have planned for him. All we know is they are highly ranked in the military. Such an organization means serious business, Sly. We can't just storm in and...", Sly was rubbing over his head, adjusting his hat. The turtle looked at him in a serious manner.

"Oh sorry, did you say something?", Bentley could only do as much as shake his head, questioning the recklessness in Sly's thinking. "Bentley I understand your concern, but they took our friend, and I'm sure as hell not going to give him up.", Bentley could see the gleam coming through Sly's eyes, practically burning with fury. Bentley nodded, as he started fidgeting with his computer again. Sly walked towards the center of the room, as he turned, "It's time to get our friend back!"

 **-[During the heist of Pachyderma Tuskinanny's Diva Diamond]-**

The guys grew anxious, Sly taking longer than usual. Bentley tried contacting him via the Binocucom, but there was nothing. The three of them looked at each other concerned. "Maybe one of us should go and check?", the raccoon in the back suggested, slightly pulling on his own collar. All of them clearly not the fighting type, put their hands together. Rock. Paper. Scissors!

Why did he agree to this? The raccoon opened the doors of the van, ever so softly and silently. Taking one last look back at his pals, he jumped down, his feet hitting the ground and closed the doors behind himself. Slowly stumbling to the closest alley way, he stuck his head out around the corner, checking for potential danger. After seeing nothing, he slowly tread down the alley, getting closer to the opera house.

Nothing so far, maybe everything would be alright, and he did this for nothing? He cheered up at the thought. But it was instantly smashed, seeing Sly run towards him with a bunch of security on his back. Shrieking the raccoon was frozen by fear, only waking up, as Sly grasped his hand and pulled him to the van. Now that was a shock for a life-time, as they jumped in the van he had to get some deep breaths before regaining himself.

Murray was maneuvering them safely through the streets, escaping from the scene. Sly inspected the raccoon in front of him. He has certainly grown since they first met ages ago in the orphanage, but he had yet to face his demons, making him quite vulnerable and scared. The raccoon hid behind his knees, seeing Sly's eyes travel over him, a warm smile appearing on Sly's lips.

Sly looked over his features, his overall normal thin frame. His dirty blonde fur covering the body parts, which were not covered by clothing. Noticing his green eyes, when he caught him glancing towards him. When he stood straight he was about Sly's height, somewhat broad shoulders, which he always tucked in. His soft ears, ending in slight black fur which were always covered by his hoodie. Sly smiled to himself, inspecting the raccoon, "Are you still scared, Mercury?".

Mercury's eyes trailed over to him, glancing into Sly's for a moment. "That was my first time outside the van since we started this. I'm just a bit nervous...", Mercury trailed off, gulping down. Sly was about to poke him some more, as they came to an abrupt stop. Sly and Mercury went to the space between Bentley and Murray, looking for what made them stop.

There were a dozen of vehicles blocking the road, making sure they were blocked in. They even blocked nearby alleys, so there was no getting away. They seemed to be armed and at high alert. "Step out of the vehicle, you are surrounded!", unsure of what to do the gang looked at each other. "Should we hit the pedals?", Murray seemed anxious, trying to keep the steering wheel steady.

"I don't think so, Murray, they are right. We are caged in. And this doesn't look like your everyday police force. These guys mean business!", Bentley looked around, clearly scared as what would be done to them. "Tsk. Damnit!", Sly cursed, as they left the vehicle, stepping in front of it. Some guards came closer, inspecting them for weapons, before a bigger and stronger man walked towards them. From the looks of it, it seemed to be a wolf.

"Get everything ready, this will only take a moment. No need to make it any bigger of a show than it already is.", clearly he was in charge of these guys, as he walked closer to the gang, a mean look on his face. "Cooperate with me and this is done in no time...", the gang merely able to look at the armed men behind him as he spoke, "We are here for Mercury. Mercury Avion?", all of the gang's eyes shot open wide. The wolf picked up on this, reading on through the papers at hand.

"So it is one of you. Yet, we only know he is a raccoon. There were no other traces left, someone did a great job covering for him.", Mercury's eyes were locked with the wolf's, gulping down hard. "What do you want from Mercury?", Sly threw the wolf a fearsome gaze himself, stepping a little closer to his friend.

"Now that is something only the general can tell him. I'm merely here for pick-up. Now, who of you two is it?", the wolf exhaled heavily, his gaze going from Sly to Mercury and back to Sly. Bentley realized he was right, as he mouthed the word 'general'. These guys really weren't with the police force. Mercury wanted to speak up, he felt his voice failing, as it was replaced by squeaking. "I am Mercury.", Mercury's eyes darted around, going over his friends, as Sly took a step forward.

Mercury shook his head in disbelief, why would Sly do this. The wolf man grabbed Sly by the shoulder, leading him away. "You can leave the rest for the cops, bunch of thieves.", the wolf man pointed behind him, as the gang saw the armed men come closer. Mercury retreated slightly, feeling the pressure rise. Sly looked back at them, his mouth agape.

Mercury closed his eyes, hoping this was just a dream, that they were not just taking the last of his friends. The last of his family. For one moment, everything seemed so clear, so natural. Mercury felt calm, as the trembling in his body stopped. That's right, his family. His eyes lit up with fury, as he threw his arms back and got ready to run. The guards seemingly thought they could handle him, holding up their arms to keep him from passing by. There was no stopping him.

"Sly!", his raccoon friend looked back at Mercury, as he was faster than the eye could see. The wolf was also looking back, only to see something something flying at him, pushing him away from Sly. Mercury stopped himself, standing next to Sly. The wolf caught himself, looking back at the pair of raccoons. The armed guards pointed their guns at the two of them, Mercury and Sly scowled at them. Mercury stepped in front of Sly, meaning to protect him.

"Stop, that's the one. Take him and go.", the wolf steadied himself, staring at Mercury. "Please, there has to be a peaceful way to do this.", Mercury's eyes gazed towards the wolf, pleading to listen to him. He turned, gesturing his guards to lower the guns already. Mercury felt slightly relieved, not staring down the barrel of a gun. "I'll come quietly, but you will let my friends go.", the wolf looked at him somewhat questioningly.

"You're here for me anyways, right? So I'm asking you, since they don't have anything to do with this, to let them go.", Mercury kept his posture, clear and determined eyes looking at the wolf. "What makes you think you have any say in what we choose to do?", the wolf closed in on him threateningly. "Well you obviously need me for something, right? If you don't do as I say, I would rather refuse and die defending them.", Sly looked back the the guys in the back, both shaking from fear of the guards surrounding them.

"Die for a bunch of thieves?", the wolf looked at him with a puzzled expression, crossing his arms. "Not simply a bunch of thieves, they are family.", the eyes of the raccoon and wolf seemingly threw lighting bolts towards each other, the tension clearly rising. After a moment he sighed, gesturing his guards to pack up. "We are here for you and only you anyways.", the wolf opened the door to his Humvee, waiting for Mercury.

As Mercury started walking, he felt Sly's hand grasp his. He turned to look into his eyes, clearly seeing disbelief and sadness overcoming him. Mercury pressed it tightly, but soon freed himself of his hand. He went over, stepping next to the wolf, looking him into the eyes. With one last look back, he got into the Humvee, the door promptly shut behind him, and they drove off. The gang was left on the streets, the other heavily armored and weaponized vehicles driving off, leaving them in dust.

Bentley and Murray regained themselves enough, as they slowly walked over to Sly. He was slumped down there on the road, looking at his hand, still feeling the pressure on it from Mercury's grip. Murray grasped his shoulder, as Sly's eyes trailed from his hand to the turtle and hippo and lastly after Mercury. Everybody was left with the question of what just happened. Sly looked down the road, a tear trailing down the side of his face, "Mercury?".

 **End of Chapter one.**

(Like I mentioned in the summary, this Fanfic is parted into two sections. One is the official story line, and the other the story behind the scenes. The story behind the scenes is about Mercury and his missions in the military. I am marking those chapters with 'Back-story', so you can skip to the main thing, if you feel like it.

Some may notice a slight change in Mercury's looks and powers. Yet, his powers were ever only meant to be part of Sly's stories, so normally he doesn't have them. This way he fits a bit better, to what I had in mind for him anyway. Besides now you will get a clearer back-story, as to what happened and how he got his 'powers' and how he found his way into the gang.)


	2. A Fresh Start

**Sly Cooper and the Thievius Raccoonus  
(Yaoi Fan Fiction)**

 **For disclaimer : I do not own Sly Cooper or any of their Characters.**

The gang had exchanged the cozy warmth of their hideout for the night on the streets, pressing on with the van. The night sky offered a beautiful sight, millions upon millions of stars illuminating the way. Sly leaned out of the window, looking up at them, while Bentley could be heard in the back, working on the computer. "Okay, Murray, take a hard left.", Sly was pulled away from the mesmerizing sight, being dropped back into reality. "That's it, my readings show, Mercury is definitely here.", Bentley closed his laptop, joining the guys in the front.

They sat their eyes upon, what seemed to be, a heavily fortified fort almost like a prison. It had the same characteristics at least. The building was separated into quarters, the main building standing taller than the others. One can only imagine how deep underground the base would reach, if the topside view is already this magnificent. There was also quite a lot of terrain, resembling more of a sport ground. Except it was fenced off, the fence going as far as the eye can reach, surrounding the entire base.

"Wow.", Bentley was overwhelmed, he didn't think it would be so huge. "You can say that again, pal. How are we going to find Mercury?", Sly looked back at Bentley, deeply in thought, quickly returning to his computer. "Well I did end up giving Mercury a version of the Binocucom, but it wasn't finished. Normally I would just be able to call him like you, but I had no chance to implement the long range emitters. His Binocucom can only pic up a signal from short range... it wasn't top priority, since it wasn't needed at that time...", Sly looked back at his turtle friend, signaling him to come to the conclusion.

"What I'm trying to say is, if you get close enough with your own Binocucom, you could possibly keep a stable connection.", Sly smiled, looking out through the front of the van, as he looked over the fort. Sly grabbed his gear, putting on his backpack and began sneaking closer to the fort.

Mercury's eyes trailed over the several beautiful stars, all over the night sky. Smiling at the sight, he sat down, leaning against the fence behind him. He closed his eyes, as he saw a shooting star, only then noticing someone sat down next to him. He opened his eyes, watching the mouse next to him play with her hair and brushing them behind her ear. "They are beautiful, aren't they?", Mercury nodded and smiled at her, getting a smile in return. "If you need anything you know where to find me." she put a hand on his shoulder, before standing up.

"Also make sure you aren't staying up too late again. I'll get to our quarters, sweet dreams, Mercury.", the mouse walked off with a wink, smiling back at him. "Thanks, you too.", Mercury relaxed again, leaning back to take in the sky. Hearing a slight beeping sound he wondered what would surprise him now. Could it be? Mercury grasped into his back-pocket, inspecting the device Bentley once gave to him. Mercury turned it and inspected it, why did it make such a beeping noise? Was it busted?

Mercury shook it a few times, as the beeping got louder. Frowning at it for a moment, he scratched his neck, holding it against the night sky. "Careful. Bentley would never forgive you, if you were to break it.", Mercury's eyes widened, lifting from the device. _That voice._ Mercury turned himself around, and couldn't believe his eyes. "Sly?!", he realized how noisy he was, repeating it but this time slightly more quiet. Mercury pushed himself against the fence, his fingers digging through the square holes. Sly smiled at his friend, grasping for one of his hands.

"Sorry we didn't come any sooner, was kind of hard to track you down. Bentley did his best and even then it took a long time. But now I could find you thanks to this.", Sly's hand showed him his Binocucom. Mercury wished there was no fence, so he could properly greet his friend. The clouds shifted a little bit, illuminating the two of them in bright moon light.

That was Sly's first chance to get a better and clearer look at him. He held back a gasp, seeing several bandages on his arms and knees. Mercury quickly understood his surprise, shaking his hands. "Don't worry, I'm fine. Just some scratches.", Sly looked him over, a concerned look haunting his eyes. Sly could see the somewhat lackluster face behind Mercury's masquerade of happiness.

"You don't look fine at all, pal. What are they doing to you?", Sly grasped at Mercury's hands a little harder. "They aren't doing anything to me. But what about you? How are you doing? How are Bentley and Murray?", Mercury's smile brightened, almost expecting the two of them to show up behind him. Sly's concern grew, since he didn't want to answer, but dropped the subject and moved on.

"They are in the van, waiting and ready for pick-up.", Mercury looked at him for a moment, Sly noticing the thoughtful gaze. "What do you mean pick-up?", Sly thought he must be joking, his smile slightly fading. "Pick-up as in go pack your things, we're leaving.", Mercury's withdrew his hands off the fence, his eyes locked with Sly's.

"I can't leave, Sly.", yeah this definitely was a joke, a very bad joke Sly thought. "What are you saying? We're missing a valuable member of our gang and he willingly refuses to come with?", Mercury shook his head at Sly, stepping closer to the fence again. "It's not that I don't want to, Sly. But we've all seen their power, back when they first picked me up. If I were to leave now with you guys... what would they do to you? It's too risky!", Mercury's head fell shaking, his eyes closed.

"Listen, Mercury, we finally did it. We retrieved the case file and know of the location of the fiendish five. For this mission we need the whole gang. I need my friends.", Sly's eyes trailed over Mercury, who was biting down on his lip. "You found them?", Mercury used one hand to ruffle through his hair. "When do you want to go after them?", Mercury threw Sly a thoughtful look.

"As soon as possible. We wanted to come and get you and head right for the first of them. Sir Raleigh.", Mercury turned at a few sounds coming from behind. He definitely didn't want to be spotted talking to Sly, thinking they would break him out of here. "Maybe you won't need my help? What if I only held you back?", Mercury's eyes shut, thinking back to the alley way and how he froze the second the action picked up the pace.

"Mercury... this is not only for the job, not only to have a whole gang...", Sly's hand grasped the fence, signaling Mercury to come closer. Mercury did, grasping the fence with his own hand, as he looked into Sly's eyes. "...it's about wanting to restore our family.", Mercury's eyes widened, he missed the guys himself and he wished he had the words to tell Sly... but all his voice brought out was a squeak. He grasped at Sly's hand, tightening around it.

 **-[In the Orphanage]-**

The bright light shined into the young raccoon's eyes, making him cover his eyes with his hands. He sighed, looking at his 'captors'. Sitting across of him was a turtle, adjusting his glasses, as he looked him over. "I'll need to ask you a few questions. You can answer them by either saying yes or no or simply nodding. Understood?", Mercury looked at him raising an eyebrow, but nodded. He didn't have anything else to do anyway, might at least enjoy the show.

"You have been here for a month now, is that correct?", Mercury nodded, his eyes trailing over the hippo in the corner, enjoying a nice sandwich. Mercury could feel his stomach grumble at the sight. As the hippo looked at him, his eyes quickly went back to the turtle. "You're here because your parents... died, is that correct?", Mercury was visibly shocked, not expecting such a morbid question. After a moment of silence his eyes returned to the turtle, nodding at him.

"I'm sorry, it's part of the background check. What happened to them?", Mercury enjoyed the questions less and less, he would rather be alone again. But... he remembered what was repeated to him, again and again. It was the last orphanage and his last chance. He would have to stay calm and be nice to the others. Sighing, Mercury's eyes trailed over the raccoon next to him, inspecting him closely, as he walked around the table.

"Our house... it caught fire. The police told us there was no clue to how exactly it started. I was in my room when...", Mercury trailed off, having several flashbacks, seeing his mother stuck beneath a wooden beam. Mercury cleared his throat, looking back at the turtle, "I was the only one able to leave the house, I am the only one left."

"I'm sorry to hear that.", the side of Mercury's lips raised for a second, before dropping again. "The guys and I noticed you always keep to yourself. You don't play with anyone or even look at them. Why?", Mercury scratched his neck for a second, thinking of how he could answer the turtle. "Well... I usually scare the other kids around me. I had to change my orphanage several times because they called me a freak.", the turtle was clearly intrigued now, leaning in closer.

"Interesting, mind telling us why?", _no, enough questions_ , Mercury wanted some answers himself. "Can I ask something first? Why do you want to know? Why this whole 'background check'?", Mercury rested his head in his palm, looking straight into the turtles eyes. He felt pressured, slightly starting to sweat.

"It's for our gang!", the raccoon slammed his fist on the table, slightly surprising Mercury. The action seemed a little excessive, the raccoon must have realized himself, as he started smiling slightly. "We recently picked up on you, as you were possibly the only beating Sly in any of the sport courses. We were looking for a new addition to the gang for quite some time, and you seemed to be the perfect fit for our job.", the turtle and Mercury exchanged glances, his eyes traveling on to the raccoon and hippo. He guessed Sly was the raccoon.

Mercury shook his head, his hand grasping at it. Of course, everybody wants something from him. The doctors another blood sample, the radiology department just one more x-ray photograph. Why can't they leave him alone? Now these guys want him for what? His ability to run properly? "I'm sorry, I'll pass. I wish you luck though with finding someone else.", he stood up from his chair, making quick steps towards the door.

"Wait... please!", Sly went in front of him, trying to stop him from leaving. Though unwillingly, Mercury came to a halt, eyes fixated on Sly. "Don't you want to be part of our gang, be our friend?", Mercury didn't want to admit it, that yes, he felt lonely. But he couldn't, he knew that exactly.

"Like I said, I'm truly sorry, but... I just can't.", Mercury tried to remain calm, reminding himself of the past instances. The kids pointing and calling him names. He was about to leave through the door, as he felt the raccoon's hand on his shoulder. "You saw it happen, didn't you? How your parents died?", Mercury's gaze trailed to the ground, a few pictures reminding him of that day.

"When you showed up, I could tell, see it on your face. I wanted to come and ask you to play with us, but I knew you probably just wanted to be alone. I know how you feel. If you really want to go, I'm not going to stop you.", Sly backed off a little, scratching his neck, as he looked him over. "Just know that I think you're a pretty cool kid.", a tear forming in his eye, Mercury turned away to wipe it off, before returning his attention to Sly. Should he give it a try? Mercury could tell. He could tell they are different, at least he hoped so.

"So your gang. Why would you need me exactly?", Sly's mouth formed a big grin, his hands visibly shaking. "Does that mean you'll be our friend?", Mercury held his hands up, hoping not the get jumped. "I don't know, let's not rush into things. I've never really had any friends besides Aaran, so...", it hit Mercury with a shock, he did it again. He talked too much.

"Who's Aaran?", he looked at the raccoon in front of him, scratching his neck, trying to come up with an answer. "He's no one. I think I should go... maybe we'll see each other on the playground some time.", he just had to spill it every time. If he wasn't careful this would end just like last time. Mercury threw his fist against his own head as he left, Sly clearly asking himself what was wrong.

"Wait... if you want, Aaran can join, too.", Mercury's eyes searched the ground, coming to level with Sly's, clearly thinking about something. "Aaran can't join. He... he's not 'real'", his eyes focused on the puzzled look on Sly's face. "What do you mean like an imaginary friend?", Mercury's eyes darted from Sly to the hippo and then to the turtle. It was practically beaten into him to never tell anybody. But sooner or later they would find out anyway, might as well tell them from the start, right?

Mercury's eyes caught themselves, igniting with hope. Fine he would give these guys a try. His last hope at finding a place to stay, finding friends. Sly was visibly wondering what has gotten into him, as he quickly turned and looked at his friends. "Do you really want to know? And you are not going to scream, cry, hate me or call me names?", Mercury's eyes scanned the room, seeing the raccoon couldn't conceal his interest, practically shaking with his entire body. They all nodded at him, as Mercury took a few steps back to the wooden desk and looked at the bright shining lamp.

He made sure they were all looking towards him, as he raised his hand towards it. Getting curious looks by the other guys, he tilted his head to the side and sighed. Closing his eyes, he focused his energy, and after a little bit of concentration they could already see it. Hear it. The bright light started buzzing. The glass, if almost completely silent, makings sounds like a rain drop was hitting them. He reopened his eyes, the bulb exploding into small pieces, leaving only a soft electrical buzzing noise.

Mercury retracted his right hand, the other one enclosing it with a light grip. He scanned the room and noticed their faces with a mouth agape, the silence only broken by the soft buzzing. The former hope in Mercury's eyes vanished, breaking into small pieces just like the bulb. He started making his way to the door, ready to leave this place behind. Sly caught a glimpse of his departure, quickly grasping with his hand for Mercury's shoulder. Sly turned him around, Mercury being greeted by the biggest smile he has even seen.

"That was totally awesome! It's decided you're part of the gang now!", Sly looked back at his other friends, as they nodded in approval. Mercury could swear he was dreaming or this was a very well executed joke on their part. "So you are not going to run around screaming or beat me up?", the pain slightly lifted off of his hand, as he let it fall to the side of his body. Sly was shaking like crazy, grasping for his hand and bringing him to the table.

"This here is Bentley and that is Murray. And we three welcome you to the Cooper gang!", Mercury saw him point towards the turtle and hippo, getting a very bright smile in return. The name got him thinking though, Cooper. He could swear he heard it before. "So what do you say? Do you want to be a part of us?", Sly's arms grasped around Bentley's and Murray's neck, bringing them closer, as a big grin formed on his face. The other two struggled for a bit, gasping for air, but soon started smiling, too.

For the first time he thought his hopes were not misplaced. Could this be a fresh start for him? Mercury's lips twitched, his eyes starting to water a little. "I...-yes, I'd love to.", the hippo practically jumped him, hugging him tightly. "I'm Mercury, Mercury Avion. And you have met my friend, Aaran.", Mercury smiled back at them, his eyes full of tears. Sly released Bentley, letting him gather his things. "Okay now that you are officially part of the gang, it's time to talk business. What do you say, if we were to celebrate your recruitment with some cookies...?", Bentley laid out a plan in front of them, which they quickly studied. It would be their very first coup, 'Cooky-Steelin' Plan by Bentley'.

 **-[Present]-**

Mercury's eyes trailed over the ground, but he raised them to level with Sly once more. "Sly, I...", Sly's features visibly changed, his ears retracting in defeat. Mercury screamed in his mind, there had to be something he could do for them. He wanted to, he really wanted to help them with the fiendish five. But what if he brought attention to them? Now that they already have him, how could he protect them?

Mercury shook his head, cleansing it of these plaguing thoughts. All he focused on was the man standing in front of him. The man who had been his friend, a major part of his life. He had to, there was no other choice but to help them. "Sly listen, I'll help, but there are some things we have to keep in mind.", Sly's spirit lifted, his eyes shining again. He got closer to the fence once more, listening in on Mercury.

"My supervisor hasn't let me out of his sight since we got back from our last mission. And I'll have to be back before he notices that I was gone!", Mercury's eyes scanned around himself, making sure nobody else was listening. As he returned his eyes to Sly he could practically see him explode. "Awesome, but are you sure you want to go back?", _it's not about really wanting it,_ Mercury's lips formed a slight smile, looking at Sly through the fence... _more like wanting to protect you guys from any harm._ Sly looked at Mercury, standing there in silence, simply smiling at him.

"It's for the better...- Now stand back!", Sly did as he said, seeing Mercury take a few steps back also. Sly wondered what he was about to do, as he ran with his speed towards the tower next to them, going up the wall, practically walking on it like normal ground. With his running boost, he pushed himself off the wall, skipping over it. But this was as far as his plan went, now in the air he embraced for impact, arms flinging around slightly.

After landing rather softly, he opened his eyes. "Stick the landing, huh?", Sly smiled down at him, Mercury lying in his arm. "Yeah good thing I'm not the one making the plans, right?", Sly started laughing, as Mercury smiled up towards him, a blush growing move evident. As silence returned, Mercury felt so relaxed, getting a warm smile from Sly. "It's good to have you back.", Sly looked into his eyes, a more clear and serious note and expression coming through. Mercury couldn't put all the emotions at hand in his smile, simply enjoying the moment.

"It's good to be back, now let's go get to the others.", Sly helped Mercury stand straight up, leading him the way to the van. "So, Sly, who are we after again? And do we already have a plan?", Mercury saw Sly turn, a toothy grin on his face, as he adjusted his hat. "Sir Raleigh. And no plan, yet. Guess we'll go with the default plan.", Mercury chuckled, his eyes looking into Sly's. "Really? We'll go with Bentley's 'Cooky-Steelin' plan?", Mercury hoped he was joking, as Sly kept going, simply shrugging with his shoulder. He was joking, right? Right?

 **End of Chapter two.**


	3. Hit The Circle Button

**Sly Cooper and the Thievius Raccoonus  
(Yaoi Fan Fiction)**

 **For disclaimer : I do not own Sly Cooper or any of their Characters.**

 **Sly Cooper and the gang in: Tide of Terror**

 **-[In the Orphanage]-**

Mercury wondered why he had agreed to this, Sly's feet pushing him further down into the bin. "Bentley, you there? Come in!", Sly slowly opened the top of the garbage can, sticking his head out. "Bentley, this is Sly! Do you read me? We're in position!", Sly crawled out of the bin, helping Mercury out of after him. Glad he could breath fresh air again, he got to his spot at the door, listening for anything unusual.

"Excellent! My ingenious Cupunicator is flawless! As long as you hold on to your end, we'll be in constant contact... and with my advice you can't fail.", Sly looked through the room, spotting the cookie jar atop of the gigantic shelf. "Begin operation: Cookie Connection!", Sly pushed the furniture, trying to gain access to the shelf. Mercury helped him from time to time, if any furniture proved to heavy.

Bentley's plan relied on a five minute window in which miss Puffin's left her office for the night, and the janitor would come for cleaning. "Okay, Bentley- everything's ready.", Sly pushed a lamp into place, between her desk and the shelf. "You don't have the cookies yet? We're out of time! We have to scrub the mission!", Bentley's words only encouraged Sly. Like hell would he leave without the cookies, after all the work they had done!

Mercury watched Sly climb up the shelf, almost reaching the top. "Okay! I'm in position, sort of...", Sly hang onto the top of the shelf, trying to grasp at it with the other, "Y'know... this is pretty high up...".

"Sly, we're out of time! Get out while the getting's good!", Sly couldn't, he was so close! Mercury had to draw his eyes away, concentrating on his job. His ears picked up some movement outdoors. "Sly, didn't they say they would wait outside? I can hear them in the hall.", Sly looked down to him with a thoughtful look, getting the Cupunicator. "Are you guys inside? Mercury just heard you come in through the hall.", Sly inspected the cookie jar in front of him. Finally he made it to the top.

"What do you mean? We are outside!", Sly and Mercury exchanged puzzled looks, before it dawned on them. _The janitor!_ "Then it is the janitor at the door!", Bentley cowered hearing Sly's words. That's it, their plan was ruined. Mercury started running towards the window, Sly watching him closely, already seeing the janitor search for the right key to the door. "That's it! I'm pulling the plug on this myself! Hang on, Sly!", Murray stepped into the pedals, Sly's hand holding onto the Cupunicator feeling a soft pull on it, making him look back.

"Huh?", Sly could only exclaim that much, before he was pulled down the shelf by the force of Murray driving off. Flying down the window, he saw Mercury look up at him. Extending his hand, Sly grasped for his and pulled Mercury with to the outside, both clinging on to the getaway cycle. "B-Bentley, where are the brakes on this thing?", Murray obviously struggled to keep the vehicle under control, his eyes looking for a way to stop it.

"Th-That was my project for next week, I'm afraid.", Bentley was tossed around in the trailer, seeing everything upside down. After a marvelous crash, the gang looked at each other with slightly sad expressions, except Sly. "Sorry, guys...", Murray helped Bentley to his feet. "Y'know, we're all pretty lucky...", Sly gathered some questioning looks, as they wondered what he meant. "After that disaster? What do you mean?", Bentley eyed him closely, Sly's hand grabbing his hat.

"...lucky I inherited my dad's fast fingers!", Sly presented his cap to them, full of cookies. "Dig in, fellas!", they each took a cookie, Sly enjoying the first one. "No cookie jar is going to keep me out!", Sly looked down at Murray and Bentley, getting a smiled from the two of them. He only now noticed Mercury wasn't there. His eyes scanned around, looking for Mercury. He saw him at the front, inspecting the cycle, as he let the wheel spin numerous times.

"Hey, want a cookie?", Mercury was slightly surprised, sitting down next to the small tricycle. "Is it always going to be this energetic when I'm around you?", Mercury thankfully declined the offer, seeing Sly sit down next to him. "Well, probably not always, but you can expect that a lot.", Sly smiled at him, getting a smile in return. "I guess I really had no idea, what being friends with someone is like.", Mercury scratched his neck, sighing slightly.

"Having friends is the best thing you can ask for. Friends can be so much more. They can become anything you want.", Sly smiled at him, getting a curious look. "Now go ahead, take one! It's to celebrate you becoming our new friend, Mercury.", Sly kept smiling, offering him his hat, a few cookies remaining. Mercury took one, turning it in his hand. They become anything you want? Mercury turned to look at Bentley and Murray enjoy their cookies, clearly excited about the mission's success.

Sly was enjoying another cookie, smiling at the taste. Mercury looked down at his own cookie, feeling it become heavier in his hands. Mercury smiled at the thought of having friends. And he enjoyed the thought of these guys being his friends. Maybe, just maybe, like Sly said, they could become much more? A tear formed in Mercury's eye, biting down on the cookie. _Even family?_

 **-[On their way to Raleigh]-**

"The road trip gave me the time I needed to study upon Sir Raleigh the frog. As a young man this hot-tempered man grew bored of his life of luxury and privilege. On a whim he tried his hand on a bit of piracy, and found it to his liking.

Raleigh, who quickly became addicted to crime, was brought into the fiendish five as chief machinist. Where his evil tinkering genius rose to new heights. The last reported sighting of this mad machinist was off the soggy coast of the Isle O'Wrath. A small island uncomfortably situated in the middle of the Welsh Triangle."

 **-[Present]-**

Sly picked up his backpack, going through it to see if he forgot anything. As they went in reverse, over a bridge they came to a stop. "Okay Sly, as far as I could recon the place. You'll first have to get a key to gain access to Sir Raleigh's ship.", the turtle turned to look at him, the nervousness shown through his slight twitching. "Relax, Bentley, we'll manage. Besides, now with Mercury, if anything goes south we have someone who can come pick me up. So stay safe, and I'll be back as fast as I can.", as Sly wanted to jump out of the van, he felt someone grasp at his side.

"Sly, if you want to, I could come with you. I don't really know, if I would be of much help, but it's better than waiting for you to get hit and then needing someone to pick you up.", Sly smiled at him, thinking he was joking. _Mercury willingly leaving the van? Really? That's a first._ "Are you sure? I don't need to remind you of what happened in the alley, right? Not that I wouldn't like some company.", Sly looked at him, seeing Mercury's eyes trail down, scratching his neck.

"Hey, if you think you're up to it, I'd be happy to take you along.", Sly smiled at him, crossing his arms, as he looked him over. Mercury lightened up a little, looking back at Bentley and Murray, before leaving the van with Sly. "Just don't turn to ice on me again, if it gets tough.", Sly's chuckled softly, throwing a fist against Mercury's arm. "Heh... yeah.", he wasn't sure what would happen, Mercury couldn't tell himself. But there was something within. It wasn't usually like himself, but he wanted to leave the van, see the outside world and more importantly help his friend.

They went through a small passageway, leading them through a rock formation. On the other side they stepped down the rocky steps, coming across a very big gate. "Hey, Sly! I just spotted something that's going to complicate the mission.", Sly's Binocucom buzzed with Bentley's voice, as he grasped it out of his backpack. "See that nasty looking gate? It blocks the only road leading into Raleigh's Hideout.", while Bentley was talking, Mercury scanned the perimeter, seeing some guards ahead and behind. They most likely were walrus guards, but packed quite some muscle and were definitely ready for anything thrown at them.

"No problem. I'll just use my climb move", Sly used his Binocucom to scan the gate itself, looking for a way to climb over. "Okay, but remember. You can only climb on certain objects. Like pipes and ropes...", as Bentley trailed off, Sly spotted a ladder nearby. "Yeah sure, and like that ladder there?", Sly had to smile to himself, seeing Mercury put on his hood. As Mercury saw him glancing, he offered a warm smile.

"That is correct. But do not forget, Sly, you have to get close...", Sly looked back through his Binocucom, looking at Bentley. "...then hit the circle button to grab it. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Relax Bentley, I live for this stuff!", Sly could hear Bentley sighing quietly. "Yeah, and that's what worries me.", Sly put away the Binocucom, getting close to the ladder to ascend it. Looking back he saw a questioning look all over Mercury's face, mouthing the words 'circle button'. Mercury stared at Sly, clearly confused. "I sense someone hasn't been reading through Bentley's instructions. Come on, I'll show you.", Sly stood atop of the ladder, guiding Mercury along the way. As he finally reached the top he was still confused. He just climbed a ladder. What's there to show?

Still he thanked Sly, taking a few steps forward to look down on the guard. Mercury gulped slightly, Sly stepped ahead, ready for a beatdown. They jumped down from the wooden platform, Sly staying ahead of Mercury. There was only one path leading to the guard, the sides of it being littered with thorny roots. As Sly wanted to press on, Mercury noticed the tower nearby, scanning around with headlights.

"Sly wait...-Oww!", Mercury stumbled over something, hitting the ground quite hard. Sly turned and knelt down next to him. "Are you alright?", Sly was relieved to see him nod, looking at what caused him to fall in the first place. The two of them picked up a small bottle, a small piece of paper hidden inside. "Now this is very interesting. The message you just found appears to be some sort of clue! I'll decipher it here in the van. In the meantime, see if you can find any more clues. The more I have the easier it'll be to crack the code.", Sly and Mercury exchanged looks, clearly unable to read any of it. But if Bentley says he is able to decipher it, why not?

"Hold on, guys. See those searchlights? One careless step and you will be subjected to acute combustion!", Bentley's voice echoed through Sly's backpack, as he fumbled to find it. "That's what I wanted to warn you about, you would have ran straight in.", as Sly finally found his Binocucom, he simply smiled at Mercury. "Are you guys done whining? Let's go!", Mercury wondered, if there was any end to Sly's recklessness.

"I'm just trying to keep you alive, 'partner'. Fortunately for you I launched these signal repeaters throughout Raleigh's Fortress. Get close to one and I can checkpoint your progress.", Sly zoomed in on the small device, inspecting it for a moment. "Nice!", stuffing the Binocucom away, they kept going. Careful in their steps, avoiding the searchlights. They walked closer to the guard ahead. Sly pressed Mercury down, as they stayed behind the statue, blocking the line of sight for the guard.

"I'll take care of this guy.", Sly looked at the walrus, spinning something resembling a gold sheriff star in his hand. Sly snuck over to the statue opposite of Mercury. Mercury looked at the guard, fascinated at him spinning the star around. As he spotted Sly, slowly approaching the guard, he felt the urge to do it himself. Prove that he can do something, too. His thought process stopped there, as he charged the guard, screaming at the top of his lungs. Halfway through the shout, it turned into a slight squeaking noise, as he realized his lack of a plan, surprised of himself that he jumped out in the first place. Seeing the guard, he got even more nervous.

Even Sly was surprised, jumping back slightly to let him charge in. Mercury only sped up, charging lighting fast towards the walrus. The guard wanted to throw the golden star at him, but clearly lost track of him, as he was moving too fast to see. Sly and the guard had lost him, scanning the area to try and find him. With a loud thud, Mercury hit the dirt behind the guard. He recovered slightly, pushing himself of the ground.

Turning around he saw the guard, ready to throw a heavy golden star at him. Luckily Sly jumped over, bashing him over the skull, the walrus landing in front of Mercury. "Now what the hell was that, Mercury? You can't charge in headfirst like that, if you don't even have a plan or any experience. You could have been killed.", Mercury looked over Sly, he was right. Even his instructor warned him of this, there was something holding him back. Whenever it got serious he failed at defending himself.

Sly shook his head, walking a step closer to Mercury to help him up. A soft clicking noise caught their attention, looking in the direction it came from, they suddenly were both blinded by bright light. That seemed to be a signal repeater. Mercury rubbed over his eyes, as they were still blinded, feeling a hand on his shoulder. Sly helped him to his feet, as he brushed off some of the dirt.

"Now let's go, that wasn't the last guard in our way...", they wandered on, one could almost mistake this place for a tranquil and peaceful one, if you ignore the horrendous stories of missing ships linked to it. Sly stopped to take a better look at Sir Raleigh's boat, as he trailed over it with his Binocucom. "According to my Amphibio-Positioning system, that big blimp is where Raleigh is hiding out.", Mercury traveled a few steps ahead, still trying to listen to them.

"You know, that blimp looks more like a machine than a hide-out.", Sly saw Mercury stand at the edge of a waterfall, staring down the abyss. "You're right, Sly. That is a storm machine! It's the reason why it never stops raining around here.", Sly walked over, his eyes also staring down. "That explains all the wrecked ships.", Sly returned to the turtle, as Mercury sat down next to him on a log which stuck out of the ground. Noticing something stuck in the mud behind him, his hands dug it out, as he uncorked another clue.

"But why would Raleigh want bad weather at his own hide-out, 24/7?", the turtle threw a questioning look at Sly through the Binocucom, hoping he knew the answer. "Beats me, but rain or shine, I'm going to steal my families book back. And if Raleigh get's in my way... it's on.", Sly stuffed the Binocucom away, seeing Mercury stare at the distant blimp, the clue he just found flapping with the wind.

Sly wondered if he had been a little harsh, after all he just wanted to help. He sighed, walking over to sit down next to him. He definitely caught his attention, as Mercury smiled at him as he sat down. "What I said... I know you want to help, but don't be so reckless.", Mercury raised an eyebrow at him, smiling slightly. Sly realized how that must have sounded, coming from him.

"I guess my instructor was right, I'm not the fighting type. I'm not a natural talent like him or like you are.", Mercury's lips rose for a second, quickly falling as he stared back into the distance. Sly sensed someone needed a little bit of help and optimism in their life, as he moved a little closer. "Hey, I'm no natural talent either. It took hard training to get me where I am. You know that. And everybody can fight, if they need to. Some just need a reason, maybe you just first have to work on finding what you are fighting for?", Sly could see Mercury's eyes trail over him, finding a little bit of comfort in his words.

But still, his overall demeanor remained, a pained, saddened look in his eyes. Sly wondered what his eyes were hiding, what his mouth didn't dare to reveal. Before he could ask though, Mercury stood up, turning towards him. He looked up, seeing him smile down, as he held him a helping hand to get up. With the found clue in hand, Mercury tried making sense of it, as they continued on their way. Not long after having crossed a small waterfall, he bumped into Sly. There was another gate blocking their way.

"Nice job so far, Sly. To get over the next gate, you'll need to grab onto this hook using your cane. Just jump and hit the circle button.", Sly looked at the hook positioned slightly above the gate, spinning his cane in his hand. "Got it. Jump and hit the circle button to grab onto hooks.", Mercury looked at Sly with the same confusion as before, but quickly shook it off. He watched Sly stand back and jump for the hook, swinging across with his cane.

Once on the other side, he threw Mercury his cane. "Family heirloom, don't lose or break it!", Mercury felt the weight of the cane. It felt powerful and yet, it felt amazingly light. His eyes fixated on the hook, he counted his steps and started running. The cane made contact with the hook, as he was swinging forth and jumped over the gate. "Not bad, and you still have the cane.", he got a smile from Sly, as he extended his hand for the cane. Mercury dropped it into his hand, getting a pat on the back, as they went onward.

They encountered several workforces which were not happy to see them. Sly quickly knocked them out, so they could continue, having to maneuver their way across a small version of a dam, possibly used for electricity around. With more searchlight's and guards ahead, Mercury followed Sly's lead, not wanting to get in the way again. The searchlight's were no more, as Sly crushed the security alarm cone, sticking out of the ground. Sly dispatched the guard quickly, seeing Mercury wander on.

They both stopped in front of an ominous looking safe, Mercury and Sly smiled at each other, Sly's thieving vibe making him tingle slightly. "That large vault has got to be somehow related to those clues-in-bottles you have been collecting. If you can locate all the clues in this area, I should be able to crack the code and get you inside it.", Mercury fumbled around in his pockets, remembering the clue he stuffed away in there.

"I think this might help, Bentley.", Mercury held the clue to Sly, showing it Bentley through the Binocucom. "You found it, Mercury! That's the final clue to crack the code! Now get close to that vault and I'll give you the instructions to open it.", Sly moved closer, looking over the dials. "The clues have lead me to believe the code for this vault is 7-9-2.", Sly quickly put in the numbers, turning the valve. It turned out to be right, as the vault opened, revealing a seemingly torn page of something.

"Guys! You've found a page from the Thievius Raccoonus! This page teaches old Drake Cooper's fast attack dive move. Press the triangle button to use it.", Sly inspected the page closer, simply unable to believe he was holding the very first page to his family treasure. Like a proper master thief, Sly pulled out his iconic calling card and put it in the empty safe.

Just a few steps further they saw this small container, a small key being preserved within. Not so far away they saw a locked off gate which would grant them access to Sir Raleigh's ship. Sly smiled, his cane crushing open the container, picking up the treasure key. The padlock fell to the ground with a clanking noise, as the two of them entered the terrain just in front of Raleigh's boat.

 **End of Chapter three.**


	4. A Lucky Charm

**Sly Cooper and the Thievius Raccoonus  
(Yaoi Fan Fiction)**

 **For disclaimer : I do not own Sly Cooper or any of their Characters.**

 **Sly Cooper and the gang in: Tide of Terror**

Once they reached the top they found Sir Raleigh's boat. And it was indeed impressive, in a bad way of course. "That blimp looks like the most secured location on this boat. If Raleigh is really as smart as his police file suggests then that's where I'll find him.", Sly watched the blimp through his Binocucom, Bentley sighing on the other side of the connection.

"Wonderful idea, but your plan is flawed.", Sly raised an eyebrow, quite sure of himself, so why was Bentley questioning his plan? "Why?", Sly went a few steps ahead, looking for an entrance to the boat. "Because it is impossible to get near him. To access Raleigh's blimp you would have to sneak through that high-voltage power tube.", Sly followed the marker presented to him by Bentley, zooming in on the high-voltage tube.

"To do that without getting electrocuted, you'd have to destroy that power generator. And to do that, you need two more of Raleigh's treasure keys, which are heavily guarded.", Sly rolled his eyes, not impressed by what Bentley says. "Interesting. So when are you to get to the impossible part?", Sly had to smile to himself, almost daring the turtle to go on.

"Fine! But I warned you! I've marked the areas you need to hit with holographic markers. Follow them to your objectives.", Sly's grin widened, now Bentley was talking his language! "Thanks!", Sly stepped next to Mercury, as he looked for the holographic markers. "Don't mention it – it's your funeral.", Bentley could only shake his head, hoping Sly and Mercury would be alright. As Sly stuffed away his Binocucom he chuckled, seeing Mercury inspect and twist around a hook.

"Trying to hook up?", Sly kept his grin, seeing Mercury turn to him with a slight blush, and a questioning look at what he meant. Sly walked closer, inspecting the hook himself. "I was thinking, since there seems to be no other way, we could use this hook to go down and get across the water down below.", Mercury pointed at the several platforms below. Between the boat and them was some garbage floating through the water, ending at the rocky platform provided with wooden support beams beneath them.

"Well then, it's better than nothing. Come on, hang on.", Sly hooked in his cane, ready to go down below, holding an arm towards the raccoon. Sly looked back at a timid and slightly blushing Mercury, his mouth slightly agape. "You mean hang on in the sense of...", Mercury's eyes tried looking any where else than Sly at the moment, as his fingers grasped at each other, trying to remain calm. "Hang on, as in: Put your arms around me and hold on tightly.", Sly raised an eyebrow at him, wondering why it's such a dilemma. After a few more seconds of awkward silence, Mercury walked into his arm, enclosing him tightly.

As they descended slowly, Sly's eyes traveled over the water, their reflection coming closer and closer. Sly could feel Mercury's grip tighten slightly, as he inspected the platform below. Was he scared? Sly had to smile to himself, seeing Mercury hold onto him, pressed against him so tightly. The reflection showed his slightly scared face, pressing against Sly in need of comfort. At the bottom he let go quite quickly, Sly slightly sad that he let go so quickly. Mercury looked at the floating garbage, gulping as he looked back at Sly, smiling and gesturing for him to go ahead.

Making their way across, Sly almost slipped on something. Eyeing it closely, he picked it up. "Wow! You found a lucky charm. That will protect you when you take any damage.", Sly inspected the horseshoe, sticking it on his backpack. "Now how is that going to work?", Mercury looked at the horseshoe on Sly's back, wondering what good it's going to do. "Well, you have to believe in it. And naturally I'm just a very lucky guy.", Sly wiggled his eyebrows, as his hand went for the rope, gaining them access to the boat.

Now at the top, the boat looked even more enormous, and one could easily get lost. It was almost comparable to a small town. Both of them twitched, as the loudspeakers started to squeak loudly. "I see chaps, my heartiest congratulation to you all! The storm machine has sunk it's fiftieth ship last night, and the loot is already being unloaded. Our operation is moving along splendidly!", Mercury and Sly eyed each other, Mercury mouthing 'fiftieth' towards him. Mercury knew the fiendish five were mad men, but that was... purely dreadful.

"Just think of all the families they have ruined... this has to stop. Even if he gave you his part of the Thievius Raccoonus willingly.", Mercury had a serious look on, Sly sensing his emotions coming through. "Well, don't mind me. If you want to take on Raleigh, I'll sit back and enjoy the show.", Mercury whimpered slightly at Sly's words, Sly just had to tease him about it. They entered the door to their first objective.

Right after passing through, they both nearly were burnt to a crisp, as a furnace door shot immense heat and fire towards them. "Better close those furnace doors. Jump and press the square button, that will slam them shut.", Sly followed Bentley's instructions, slamming it shut and allowing them to pass through. They still wondered where exactly on the ship they are, as the came across a bigger and more open room filled with water, giant pumps working beneath their feet.

"Eureka! We're in the engine room! My analysis tells me that if you trace the spinning crankshaft all the way back to its source, you'll find Raleigh's treasure key and sabotage his machine while you're at it.", Sly smiled at the turtle, get a treasure key and manipulate his 'operation'? Nobody would have to tell him twice. They made their way through the room, carefully getting across the pumps. After all they came really close to the water, and neither of them could swim.

Halfway through the room, Sly took out another workforce, dodging his hammer and knocking him out for good. Mercury quickly followed, as they prepared to ascend a mast upwards, to the next room. Mercury watched Sly expertly sneak to the other side of the mast, tightly pressed against the wall. Mercury wasn't so sure he could do it, taking careful steps forward. Slightly scared he took easy steps, feeling his foothold become smaller with every step he took forward.

As he was almost there, anxiousness got the better of him, his arms flailing to hold him on the ledge. Sly reacted quickly, pressing him tightly against the wall with his cane, a slight chuckle escaping his lips. Mercury just looked at him, sighing in relief, as they continued to move on. Mercury never really thought about it, but the way Sly is doing this all so naturally... was being a thief and the expertise simply in his genes? Either way he was impressive, making Mercury smile slightly, as he looked at him from behind.

Sly glanced back, catching his gaze. Mercury blushed quite badly, as he didn't expect to get caught. Sly simply threw him a slight grin, as they kept running. They came to a stop, looking at several gigantic turbines spinning on a very long metallic bar. To top it off, it seemed like the turbines blades were radiating a fair amount of electricity. Sly saw Mercury's uncertain gaze, how would they get through safely?

Sly got an idea, smiling brightly at Mercury, as he grasped his hand. Not sure of his intentions, Mercury let himself get pulled closer. Without any warning Sly rushed forth, as they passed blade by blade. Mercury held his eyes closed, expecting to reach the end in shreds, only opening his eyes after they came to a complete halt. Through the slit in his eyelids he looked for any more blades, relieved to see no more.

"You could have warned me, you know?", Mercury wasn't sure whether he should be thankful or angry, trying to calm down. "Heh, you have to admit you liked the thrill, right?", Sly threw him a big grin, clearly pleased with himself and the result. Mercury was about to protest, as he spotted even more rotor blades in their way. His hand quickly fell to the side of his body. Again? And now while hanging onto a pipe?

Sly walked past him in delight, throwing a slight grin back at him. He followed with a slightly pained grumble. Trying to keep himself steady, he held onto the pipe, following Sly closely. The whole upside down thing was a thing he still had to get used to, bumping into Sly, as he stopped in front of a blade. From underneath himself he saw another blade coming, quickly pulling back his head, as it almost grazed him.

As they reached the end of the pipes Mercury let go of it, slumping to the ground, glad to be in one piece. Sly was standing above, Mercury following his gaze, he spotted a walrus with a blowtorch watching them. The guard took a deep breath, the two raccoons standing dangerously close, as he unleashed a hot wave of fire. Mercury's eyes widened, as he tried to get up and get away. Both of them rolled away- and just in time. Sly's cane made quick work of the walrus, but it couldn't have been closer.

After taking a breather, they walked through the next set of rooms, realizing they finally made it. They reached the core of the engine room. At least one would expect so, seeing a bunch of gears which easily filled the ginormous room. While walking towards the giant engine, Mercury risked a glimpse over the side of the quite unsafe path ahead. He realized now where all this heat came from, as the floor beneath them was filled with lava, its heat rising towards them. One wrong step, and...

"The key should be just up ahead, but I don't see anyway to reach it.", Sly's eyes wandered over the engine before turning to Mercury. "Maybe if we could stop that thing there from rotating, we can work our way through?", Mercury pointed towards the rotating furnace ahead. But even if they were able to stop it, how would they reach the top? They kept looking, as Mercury's eyes caught several pumps working hard to keep the engine running. His nose caught the immense stench of the machine's oil. Trying to shake it away, he saw the pump work its way up and down over and over.

"Sly? I think I know how we can get to the top. This pump can help us get up there easily. Maybe we can find a way to stop that furnace from rotating up there.", Sly watched Mercury closely, inspecting the route he had found. Indeed they could, if Sly were to use his cane. "You just want to hang onto me again, don't you?", Sly grinned, inspecting the hook above them. "What? No, you can easily do that yourself...", Mercury trailed off, blushing slightly, as he tried to avoid Sly's gaze.

"Well, where would be the fun in that?", Sly grasped for his hand, pulling a slightly surprised Mercury with, quickly jumping on the pump. As they ascended Sly reached for the hook, allowing them to reach the upper end of the machinery. Now at the top, they stepped on a smaller platform, having a clearer view of the furnace. Now how were they going to stop it? Watching the furnace closer, they hoped seeing anything that could help.

Mercury's eyes caught a smaller pipe, running along from the furnace to their platform. Following the pipe, he saw quite a heavy metallic object hang from it. Was it part of the engine? But as he looked at it closer, he got an idea. "Sly?-...", Sly had followed his gaze, looking at the object himself, getting closer to Mercury. "I know. I think we just had the same idea.", Sly hooked in his cane, trying to pull the object and get it moving towards the furnace. But it didn't budge.

"Mercury, might need a hand with-...", Sly adjusted his had as he turned to Mercury, seeing him run full force towards him. Sly's eyes widened, Mercury throwing himself against Sly and pulling the whole object with the two of them. It ended up working, as it stopped the rotation. Sly eyed the furnace, his gaze falling to Mercury, as the two let go and stood on the platform in front of it.

"Now... about you not wanting to simply hang onto me again...", Sly pressed himself against Mercury's side, putting on a playful smile. Mercury blushed, scratching his neck, as he made some small distance. "I don't think just pushing it normally would have done the trick, you know?", Mercury avoided his gaze, blushing even more, after all it didn't budge when Sly tried. "Keep telling yourself that.", Sly moved to Mercury, one arm across his shoulder, as they continued towards the treasure key.

After slamming the last few furnace doors shut, they could see it. A small glass case, surrounded by a hole, a monstrous big rotor blade spinning inside. Sly jumped across the gap, standing in front of the key. Crashing the case with his cane, he retrieved the treasure key, stashing it away in his backpack. "Now let's get out of here. I think we're done here.", Sly crossed the gap, as they finally could leave the engine room behind.

Once outside, they took a deep breath of the fresh air, walking towards the power generator. "Just one more. Raleigh better be ready.", Sly looked at his treasure keys, pressing one tightly. Sly noticed Bentley create more holographic markers than the keys they needed. "Hmhm. Hey Mercury? Think you can handle one of the objectives on your own? Maybe we'll need the extra keys, and if we split up we could collect them easier.", Mercury looked at him, clearly hesitant in his answer. "Hey, if it proves to be, too, difficult, you can just leave and wait for me.", Sly stepped slightly closer, wanting to comfort him.

"No, I'll do it. I guess...", Mercury looked at Sly, wondering himself if he was sure about it. They exchanged a quick glance, as Mercury got a smile from Sly. "Okay, how about that one? It's supposed to be a library, at least Bentley's marker says so.", Mercury followed Sly's finger, as he pointed at the marker. _Just a library_ , Mercury's fist tightened. _Right, a library can't be, too, hard to deal with._ Mercury nodded at Sly, as he walked past him.

"Also, take this... you might need it.", Mercury turned to Sly, out of the corner of his eye he saw something fly at him. Mercury caught it, bringing it into view. _The lucky charm?_ Mercury shortly glanced up at Sly, getting a slight smile in return, as he placed it on his backpack. Alright, he can do it, Mercury knew he could. And he got the horseshoe, for what that's worth... nothing can go wrong.

Parting ways, Mercury entered the library, trying to focus his mind on the task at hand. Upon entering and taking the first few steps, he was impressed to find quite a lot of books. If they already had to revert to stacking the books at the entrance, he couldn't wait to see the rest. Some of these books must be worth millions he thought, as he inspected them. Mercury made his way past them, a rat's tail suddenly caught under his foot, the squeals alerting the rest of them to run.

They ran forth, rushing over a blue carpet. Suddenly two globes, oddly placed on the other side, opened to reveal something resembling tranquilizer guns. They shot darts pretty accurately at the rats, until every last on of them laid flat on the carpet, the darts poking through their body. Mercury couldn't even begin to understand what just happened, as his feet already wanted to retreat.

Mercury glanced at the rats, stopping his feet from taking him any further. There had to be something he could do. Maybe Bentley could help? Thinking about it, Bentley did toy around with his prototype of a Binocucom. Only one way to find out. Grasping his Binocucom, he tried to contact Bentley, a loud rustling noise in his ear. "Sly? Is that you?", Mercury was almost surprised it really worked, making out a silhouette on the others side of the connection.

"Bentley it's me, Mercury. I was hoping you could help me out.", Bentley adjusted his glasses, slowly able to make out Mercury on the other side of the connection. "What's wrong? Sly said you split up.", Bentley tried to better the connection, adjusting some things here and there. "I just saw some rats get pegged, they stepped on this weird rug and...", Bentley watched, as Mercury zoomed in on the rats on the carpet, also showing him the globe's responsible.

"Raleigh appears to have booby trapped this entire place. I don't see anyway around it... maybe you should just wait for Sly...", Mercury sighed slightly at Bentley's words, scratching his head. Wait for Sly? Like he always would? He was about to return to the entrance, as a picture of Sly flashed in his mind. Sly smiling at him, crossing his arms. Mercury remembered the lucky charm he threw him, taking it into his hands.

Inspecting it, Mercury frowned, this is not like always. This time has to be different. Mercury stepped back towards the carpet, searching the area around him, his eyes stopping on an empty barrel. "Bentley, what if I jumped into this barrel for protection?", Mercury knelt down near the barrel, turning it to look for weak spots. "I don't know. It looks pretty risky. And very unsanitary.", Mercury grabbed it, putting it in front of the carpet.

"Only one way to find out!", Mercury got into the barrel, looking over himself. All it would take is for one dart to pierce through. Before going any further with that thought, Mercury frowned, taking a deep breath and stepped on the carpet. The globes opened to reveal the guns, as Mercury crouched in the barrel. The darts fired at the barrel rim, slightly piercing the wood, making Mercury press himself against the back.

On the other side he left the barrel, the globes finally ceasing fire. It worked! Mercury hopped out of the barrel, kicking over the globes to destroy them. He continued to walk with the barrel, as he felt the surrounding drop in an instant. Realizing he stepped on an elevator, he checked his surroundings, before stepping off of it. There were more traps ahead, and maybe a guard or two. Mercury slouched down in the barrel, taking a quick breath. If he had to fight, he needed a clear head.

The traps were no longer a problem, as Mercury easily passed them with the barrel, kicking them over to 'disarm' the traps. He looked at the guard ahead, patrolling the area with a flashlight. This was his first chance to take in the library to its fullest. It was enormous and there were so many books... unbelievable. Mercury wondered, if they all belonged to Raleigh or if they were stolen treasure.

Mercury eyed the guard closely, as he came closer, a beeping started from inside his backpack. Nervously he fumbled inside it, not wanting to make much noise and attract the guard. As the connection was stable, Bentley saw Mercury gesturing to talk silently. "Ah, sorry. Well... so far, so good. I bet if you stayed still in the barrel, the guard won't be able to see you, even if he shines his flashlight on you.", Mercury thought about Bentley's words, checking the area around the guard, getting a great idea.

"Thanks, Bentley.", Mercury stuffed the Binocucom away, walking towards the octopus guard. Mercury kept close to the table next to the guard, making sure to stay still when he turned and shined the flashlight on him. Sticking his head out slightly, as the guard was not facing him, he grabbed an enormous and quite heavy book. It felt even heavier in his hand, as he held up the barrel, trying to get closer to the octopus.

Just a little closer. Mercury was now right behind the guard, his grip on the book tightening to the extreme, as the guard started turning his head. Mercury poked out of the barrel, swinging the heavy book right into the guards face. With an audible thud the guard crashed against a book shelf, splashing ink on the books, sliding down on it slowly. Mercury breathed heavily, stepping out of the barrel.

With his foot he slightly touched the guard, seeing if he would get up anytime soon. With no further reaction, Mercury sighed, shaking his head and dropped the book next to the guards head. Before he continued, Mercury noticed some weirdly placed glass bottles in the shelf. He smiled to himself, they were clues. Stepping back into the barrel, he continued on.

Another elevator took him back up to the second floor. Mercury hoped he would find the treasure key soon, as his eyes searched the entire gallery. He stopped as he heard a clicking noise, wondering if it was another globe. He turned to find the source, as a bright light flashed at him. Just another signal repeater. At least this time it didn't catch him off guard, as he walked past it.

After crossing another bridge, Mercury couldn't believe his eyes. There it was. The treasure key wasn't that much further, and easily accessible to him with the barrel. But... there was one more guard. There was no way around, since he needed the barrel. He couldn't leave it behind, but the guard would make it terribly hard to move it. He walked closer, looking for any way he could get the guard out of the way.

It wasn't easy, since there were a lot of books blocking his way, and the guard would notice if they would disappear. He would have to knock him out somehow, but he was so far away. He would definitely notice him. Mercury shook himself, he had to, there was no other way. He stepped out of the barrel, waiting for the guard to turn away. As he started running, he felt something push against his feet, as he quickly fell to the ground.

Before he could even realize what happened, he tripped over the books, alerting the guard. Oh no... The squid started shooting ink towards him, as Mercury grabbed for a book, blocking the impact. Looking at the book cover, he saw the hole the impact caused, his eyes barely catching the next shot. Trying his best to dodge the guard, he stayed low, trying to find a way to recover from this mess.

Sadly it was too late, as Mercury's foot was caught on the ink, bringing him out of balance. He needed a moment to realize what just happened, as he felt a very hard impact against his chest, knocking him into the ground, splashed with ink. Mercury squinted at the guard in pain, as he slowly tried to sit up. He heard the lucky charm hit the ground behind him, having lost its gleam.

The guard was now standing right above, looking Mercury straight into the eye, as he prepared another blast of ink. Who would have thought ink could cause such damage, Mercury feeling the pain through his lungs and entire upper body. But the sensation would end soon anyway. Mercury closed his eyes, raising his arms in a last defense. He heard a loud clunk sound, as the guard dropped in front of him, a few drops of blood covering Mercury.

As he opened his eyes, he could see Sly standing above, breathing heavily. He must have ran here all the way here, and in quite a hurry on that. Mercury had so many questions, but no answers. Mercury's head and upper body was completely covered in ink, the few drops of blood sticking to his hand and face. Mercury's eyes trailed over his body, focusing on his hands, as he saw the blood.

"Are you okay?", Sly was still out of breath, glad he reached him in time. He noticed Mercury's eyes stare into his own hand, seemingly not even hearing Sly's words. Mercury's face turned to a darker expression, until all emotions faded, leaving a blank stare. Sly knelt down next to him, waving his hand before his eyes.

In Mercury's head he could only see the drops of blood, as the color of the ink turned red, covering his upper body in a gory mess. His mouth went agape, his breathing stopped, as he went completely dark. Sly watched him, as he was knocked out cold, catching him before his head hit the ground. "Hey?! What's wrong? Mercury?!", Sly laid him down slowly, checking his pulse. He was alive, but Sly was still left with the unanswered question of what just happened.

It took Mercury at least half an hour to barely open his eyes, Sly crouching next to him, eyeing him up and down. "Mercury?", Mercury heard Sly's voice talk to him softly, as he opened his eyes further. "Talk to me, are you okay?", Sly saw him nod slightly, but that answer was not enough. This time he would not take it.

"What just happened, you got knocked out for at least half an hour or so. Was it like last time? Did you use your power, too, much?", Sly looked at Mercury, how his hand slowly went up to his head, shaking it softly. "No-... I...", Mercury felt cold, his body almost freezing. Was it just him or was it extremely cold in this library. "Then tell me what's wrong. Now. Ever since we've seen each other again you behave so differently. And like it or not, but I have noticed that expression you're trying to hide.", Mercury's eyes trailed over Sly, then his hand which was no longer covered in ink or blood. Sly seemed to have cleaned him slightly.

"Well...", Mercury sighed heavily, his eyes returning to Sly's, looking deeply into them.

 **End of Chapter four.**


	5. Backstory: A Rough Start

**Sly Cooper and the Thievius Raccoonus  
(Yaoi Fan Fiction)**

 **For disclaimer : I do not own Sly Cooper or any of their Characters.**

 **Back-story: Chapter 1**

 **-[After the heist of Pachyderma Tuskinanny's Diva Diamond]-**

Mercury kept his eyes on the road, looking back towards the gang. Where would they take him? What are they going to do to him? Mercury was scared, his spine practically unable to stop tingling. The only comfort he could find was, that the guys would be alright. Turning his head he inspected the insides of the vehicle, catching a glimpse of the driver in the mirror, as he looked straight into his eyes. "Eyes on the road.", the wolf next to him exclaimed, looking at the driver.

Mercury's eyes traveled to the wolf, just as he turned his head, a frown still on his face. Mercury started frowning at him, as they continued to stare at each other for a moment. Mercury broke the eye contact, staring back out the window. He heard a slight sigh coming from the wolf, as he contacted the other vehicles per radio. The streets got darker and darker, making Mercury wonder if they were simply looking for a place where no eyes could see them, so they could...

Mercury shook away the thought, hoping they had something else planned for him. And he surely was surprised to see them turn the corner and reveal an enormous building. It looked like an entire fort. Mercury's eyes were quickly widened, the amazement getting the better of him. They drove through the nearest entrance, Mercury noticing the high fence enclosing the whole area.

They stopped at a garage, as the driver opened his window to let a scanner scan his Id card. "It's our stop, come on.", the wolf opened his door, waiting for Mercury outside. Mercury followed, stepping out of the vehicle, standing next to the wolf. He followed the wolf with unsure steps, looking through the garage. Heavily armed Humvee's everywhere.

"Where are we?", Mercury had to concentrate on his words, before they would turn into chirps. "General Ephilus will explain it to you. For now you only need to know that this is an army base.", Mercury eyed the wolf walking in front of him. Like Mercury didn't know, he noticed it's a military base himself, but why did they bring him here? His eyes scanned the wolf, the way he moved in front of him. He was quite tall, standing one or two heads bigger, Mercury guessed about 6 ft.

He had armor on right now, but he could see a mix of black and brown fur covering him. Admittedly he was quite muscular, probably packing a rough punch. Mercury had to smile to himself, thinking how it does go well with his blunt personality. He took a short glimpse back at him, showing him his refreshing blue eyes, making Mercury look else where. Once he turned away, he returned his eyes on him. That was weird, Mercury didn't notice it before, but he had this soft and barely visible color around his iris. It didn't exactly cover the color completely, but there was some brown visible near the center, around the pupil of one eye.

They entered a lift, taking the two of them a few floors up. Once they reached the ground level, the door opened, revealing a mouse. "Oh, you're already back! Ah...", the mouse moved closer, offering Mercury a hand to shake. Mercury shook her hand, getting a warm smile, which slightly lifted some discomfort. "I'm Amy, you're Mercury, right?", Mercury nodded at the mouse, of course he would be the only one with no idea what's going on around here.

Amy went with them, walking next to Mercury, offering him a smile from time to time. She saw his overall expression, noticing his slightly frightened features. "Haven't you told him, yet?", Amy looked towards the wolf in front of them, getting him to glance back. "Why should I? Let the general do it, it's not my job.", Mercury grew slightly more stiff, the closer they came and the more they talked.

The wolf pushed open a door, seemingly leading to a conference hall, a big table standing in the center. A slightly smaller than usual doberman turned to them, sending off some other armored soldiers. "There you are. Now let me take... a... look...", the doberman stepped closer, with each pause inspecting Mercury closer. "General.", the wolf and Amy saluted, standing straight.

This was him? Mercury expected someone taller, as he stepped closer into view. He was definitely smaller than the wolf, that's for sure. "Yes, yes, perfect. Now, I'm sure you wonder why you're here. I'm general Ephilus, and we've been looking for you for a very long time.", the general emphasized the word very, looking straight at Mercury. His eyes kept wandering over Mercury, leaving him still wondering what he meant.

"We meant to get you once we heard of your parents unpleasant pass away.", Mercury's eyes widened, looking into the general's. _What?!_ Mercury surely didn't expect this. "You know my parents?", the tension Mercury felt dropped slightly, being replaced by feelings of doubt. Was this some kind of sick joke?

"We knew... your parents, yes. We've met several times. My sincere condolences. We've, yet, to find out what exactly happened ourselves.", the general eyed him closely, seeing his gaze fall to the ground, clearly in thought. "We promised them to look out for you... but someone else must have found you first, taking you with and hiding you out of our sight. It wasn't easy to find you, but now that we have, we would like to keep the promise and welcome you in our community.", the general smiled at him, stepping slightly closer.

"Community?", Mercury wasn't sure how to take that one, eyeing the general closely. "Mercury, we know what you are... or rather what is inside of you.", the general waited for a reaction, Mercury's mouth agape, his eyes trailing over him. "We know, and we would like to help you understand that power. We can help you get better at using it, and in return you could help us from time to time...", Mercury clenched his fist, feeling his own grip tighten.

This was all a little bit much to take in. They knew his parents, and now he's also telling him, that they know what exactly is wrong with him. Mercury didn't even know himself, the only thing he knows is that it caused unpleasant memories and doctor's appointments. He needed to know more... about everything, his parents and this 'power'. Would he be able to find out what exactly is going on inside of him? If this was his chance to do so he would stay, and join up with the guys later on. He just had to know... he would play along.

"What do you mean?", his words made the general chuckle slightly, as he looked at Mercury. "We are a smaller company within the army. We specialize in the missions which need a little bit more... force.", Mercury's eyes traveled to Amy and the wolf next to him, wondering if they were part of it, too. "What if I decline? I wouldn't plan on staying very long. I have people out there waiting for me, my friends.", Mercury heard the wolf puff out some air in delight.

"Still talking about those thieves?", Mercury grumbled slightly, eyeing the wolf closely. He saw Amy look at him, a concerned look in her eyes, as he tried to calm himself. "I'm afraid we can't. We promised to raise you the right way. Any form of... friendship... with thieves? That has to end. Understand? For their sake.", Mercury's eyes looked into the general's, he wasn't kidding. They would probably end up in jail, if not worse. But never seeing the gang again? That would kill him...

Fine, he would find a way out, once he knows enough. They won't be able to keep him here, there's no way he's going to let that happen. Mercury nodded at the general, seeing him return a smile. "Now... Amy will surely show you your quarters, make yourself at home. We'll provide you with anything you might need. Tomorrow you'll start training. I'll leave you in the capable hands of Raz.", the general turned away from them, as he heard the door on the other side opening, tending to the other matters at hand.

 _Raz, huh?_ Mercury looked after the general, after which his eyes fell on Amy. She gave him a soft smile, taking his hand. "You'd better get some rest, before I leave you to the big guy.", Mercury looked at her, stopping for a moment. _No. Way._ Mercury turned to the big wolf, seeing him stare back into his eyes. This just confirmed it, he has landed in hell. Raz broke the eye contact, walking past Amy and Mercury. If this was the guy training him, there were no intentions of staying any longer than needed.

"Don't soften him up. It'll be hard enough as it is.", Raz walked through the door, leaving them in silence. Amy saw the mix of distraught and disappointment in Mercury's eyes, continuing on their way to their quarters. "Don't worry. He might not show it, but he cares about others. Now that you're part of our squad, that means you belong to those people.", Mercury's eyes looked into Amy's, following Raz up ahead. Yeah, Mercury definitely didn't feel that way.

Mercury already made rough sketches of the place, it's security guards, towers and cameras. It looked rough, making him almost wonder, if escaping would simply stay an illusion. Almost bumping into the mouse, he stopped as she turned to him with a smile. She opened the door for him, showing him their quarters. "Step right in, it might not look like much, but it's our little heaven.", Mercury had to smile at her comment, she sure knew how raise someone's hopes.

Their little heaven featured some neat looking beds, some bunk beds shoved into a corner, presumably to save space until they are needed. As his eyes trailed through the room Amy got to her bed, taking off her rough gear. Mercury couldn't help but blush, as she seemed to take off even more. What's this now? Does she not realize what she is doing? Mercury turned to not look directly at Amy, every now and then glancing through the space between his fingers.

Maybe not the best time to notice this, but she was really well built. Was this a must in this squad? She brushed her hair over her shoulders, the long mass reaching just above her toned back side, slightly hiding it from further view. Her overall features were beautiful. One hand held her brunette hair in place, her other creating a nicely fashioned ponytail. She turned slightly, presenting her c-cups, making Mercury stare away, slightly shaking his head. His eyes glanced at her legs, they were strangely enticing, almost inviting someone to feel their smoothness. Finally she was done, turning to Mercury, showing off her colorful emerald-green eyes.

She noticed him blushing really hard, catching on to what she just did in front of him. She didn't seem embarrassed at all, almost throwing him a playful smile, as if to invite him. Mercury couldn't help but blink a few times, his hand still covering his view of her. "I... uhm, sorry. I guess I've gotten too used to being alone here with Raz. Bad manners, I guess...", Mercury glanced through his palm, waving his hand. It's fine, but it was definitely surprising... to say the least.

"So... you live here alone with Raz, right? Does that mean you're...", Mercury's and Amy's eyes met, creating a long and silent moment. After it clicked she smiled, moving slightly closer. "I don't think there's any space for something like a relationship in his life, if that's what you mean. He's really focused on completing his orders... so, no, I'm not his girlfriend. He worries about me and watches over me, but I'd say he does that for other reasons.", she trailed off, smiling to herself, leaving Mercury wondering what she was thinking about.

"Are you fine with me staying here? I mean, Raz is fine with it, are you?", Mercury was slightly caught by surprise, but simply nodded, sure he would be fine with it. He definitely didn't want to be alone with that guy anyway. Amy got back to her things, stashing away her gear. She glanced over at Mercury, testing out the bed across of her.

"What Raz said about your friends, is it true that they are thieves? Do I need to worry that you're going to steal my toothbrush?", she threw him a playful smile, getting a slight chuckle out of Mercury. "That depends... are you a master criminal?", Mercury sat down, smiling over, getting a confused look out of Amy.

"What does that have to do with being a thief?", Amy was definitely intrigued, seeing Mercury's smile grow. She sat down, turning to Mercury. "A lot actually, especially if you are talking about a 'master' thief. But even a master thief needs a team, and they are truly the best. Bentley is a scheming genius, he always plans for every detail. Murray is an expert driver, and always there if you need a hug.", Mercury couldn't stop the smile on his lips, growing wider by the second.

"And then there's Sly. He's-... well, he's...", Amy could see Mercury struggle for words, as his smile changed. His eyes closed, his facial expressions slowly fading, as he was in deep thought. Unsure whether to ask what's wrong, Amy waited for a moment. Surely enough, Mercury's lips slowly formed a smile again, looking at her.

"The gang has a certain rule, we only go after master criminals, it has been and still is a distinctive rule of the Cooper family. Sly is the leader of the gang, and probably the only reason I'm here talking to you right now. If I had never met them, I would probably still be lost out there. I truly owe them my life. People might call them thieves, but they have their hearts at the right spot. I understand what the general said, about me not being allowed to see them again, but they are my friends. There's probably nothing I wouldn't do to see them again-...", Mercury stopped himself, scratching his neck as he looked over to Amy. She laid down on her bed, resting her head in her palms, her feet bouncing around from side to side.

"Tell me more. Like... what kind of person is this Sly?", Amy smiled over at him, seeing Mercury shift on the bed, trying to think what there is to say. "Well... he's a raccoon like me. He's the one with the quick hands and expertise, always sneaky and quiet. Yet, he can be intimidating and he knows how to fight, even if he is only around my height. And he is strong... I mean maybe it's not purely in the sense of strength, but more like will power. He's-...", Mercury's gaze fell towards the bed, starting to smile to himself.

"Sly has got this smile... his lips can form a kind of smile, that when you are with him, you just feel at ease. His eyes, when he doesn't hide them through his blue cap, can catch anything, showing you a crystal clear reflection in those beautiful brown eyes. And if anything should ever knock him down, he's coming back stronger than ever...", Mercury clenched his fist, smiling over at Amy.

"He sure sounds like quite the personality. And if my intuition serves me right, it seems almost as if you like him.", Amy couldn't conceal the smile, forming on her lips as she looked at Mercury, her eyes fixated on his to observe his reaction. Mercury's hand rubbed over his neck, trying to avoid her gaze, as a blush became clear on his cheeks. She giggled to herself, realizing she hit the nail on its head. Before the silence made it any more awkward for Mercury, she cleared her throat, catching his attention.

"What about you?", Mercury looked at her with wide eyes, not exactly sure of what she meant. Was this still about Sly? "I-... me? What do you mean?", Amy's eyes traveled over Mercury, a slight blush still visible. "What is your role in the team?", Amy definitely caught him off-guard with that one, he himself thinking about the question. "I, uhm... I've never thought about it. I was usually just there for them, if Sly needed a distraction or something. I don't think I have a particular role. I'm not that much of the fighting type.", Mercury's eyes caught Amy's, as she was seemingly thinking about something.

"Well maybe it's time you change that? I'm sure I can help you.", his eyes trailed from his bed to her and back. "Help me? How?", Amy's feet stopped bouncing, as she stood up and walked over to sit on his bed. "Think about it. You might not be excited about it, but Raz and I can help and teach you how to defend yourself. And what exactly do you think the general was talking about when he mentioned your 'power'? If we can help you understand it, don't you think you'd be a nice addition to your team?", Amy's eyes caught his, the genuine smile almost making him forget the problem at hand.

"Amy, I mean... thank you, that you want to help, but the general said-...", Amy muted him, placing a finger on his lips. Her smile grew wider, hearing something outside, she turned slightly. "Let's keep talking tomorrow. Raz will be here any minute.", she lifted her finger, a smile still on her lips. "But-...", Mercury stopped, seeing her put a finger on her lips, signaling him to keep quiet, before winking at him and returning to her bed.

Mercury laid down and gave his eyes some rest. It wasn't long before Raz came in through the door, being quiet about it, seeing them both rest in their beds. Mercury quietly glanced over, seeing him in just a towel. He must have come back from the showers. Mercury quickly turned again, shutting his eyes, hoping he'd go to rest soon, too. His eyes were shut, but his mind didn't give him an easy time to rest. This day has been a little eventful, to say the least.

After waiting for some more time, Mercury could hear them both breathing softly. After turning to see if they were sleeping, he got up from his bed, sneaking quietly through the room to open the door. Mercury sat down at the doorstep, looking into the dark, yet ravishing night sky. His eyes went back to look at them sleeping, before looking back up into the sky.

He wondered what the guys were up to right now. If the wolf kept their promise, he was sure they had to be back at the hideout by now. Would they try to get him out of here? Should he stop them? Mercury didn't know how much time passed but soon, as his mind had finally struggled through the many questions, he felt drowsy and his eyes became heavy. The day left him with troubled dreams, images and thoughts plagued his resting mind. Seemingly not so long after his eyes shut, he felt a light touch on his left shoulder. Mercury slowly opened his eyes to inspect what it was.

"Hey, couldn't sleep well?", Amy looked back into his eyes, crouching next to him. Slowly regaining himself, he remembered staying at the doorstep, instead of returning to the room. With a nod he gestured, that he at least didn't have that much. Rubbing over his eyes, he stretched a little bit, feeling the warmth covering his body slowly vanish. A blanket? He grasped at it, keeping it in place. "Thanks?", he looked over himself, starting to smile at Amy.

Amy turned to look down the long way towards the open field. Mercury followed her gaze, wondering what she was looking for, spotting Raz at the far end. She turned back to Mercury with a smile. "Come on, I think Raz is waiting for us.", Amy went ahead, Mercury following her with light steps. It was barely dawn, and they plan on doing some sort of training right now? All Mercury could do was sigh, catching a quick glance and smile of Amy.

As they reached the open grounds, Mercury saw Amy vanish, noticing some kind of equipment with several computers. Maybe it was to measure stuff? But why was it next to some sport grounds? Mercury's eyes trailed back towards Raz, seeing his gaze inspect him closely. He just stood there for a moment, letting Raz's eyes travel over him. Before he could say anything else, Mercury saw him drop his heavier gear and armor, leaving him in a shirt. Raz came closer, as Mercury could hear his fingers making a cracking noise, before changing his stance to a fighting pose.

"Since the general made you my responsibility, I need to know more about you. Do you have any fighting experience?", Mercury could only as much as gulp, shaking his head at him, his eyes widened in fright. He wants him to fight? Like right here and now? Raz's eyes traveled over to Amy, shaking his head as he returned his attention to Mercury. "Just try and hit me.", Raz got back into his stance, but Mercury could see him put one of his arms behind his back. Was that supposed to be a handicap? Still unsure, Mercury simply moved slightly closer, the uncertainty reflected in his eyes.

When he got closer, he remembered his words. All Raz wanted him to do is hit him, right? Can't be that bad. Mercury took a quick step forward, throwing his left fist towards his chest. Raz simply grabbed his hand, gripping it and pushed him back. Mercury stumbled back, shaking his hand in pain, as he made a mental note to not aim for the most obvious area. His right hand embraced the other, while he was watching Raz from further away. He could try and run around him, but he is more than likely quick enough to keep up. Mercury could see the impatience in his eyes, waiting would only make it worse.

Mercury let his hand go, as he charged straight at him. Raz followed him easily, blocking any punches he threw his way. Mercury wondered why he didn't strike back at first, seeing him prepare a rough punch, as he could barely dodge it. But right after that, he saw Raz go for another, his fist charging for Mercury's chest. Mercury wondered if he was hallucinating, the fist clearly in a darker coloration than usual. The fist hit, sending him flying back with the hard impact. His hand grasped at his chest, the pain was horrible. What kind of punch was that?

Raz looked over him, his gaze then turning to Amy, who had a hand covering her mouth in concern. Mercury felt like he couldn't breathe, his lungs burning with each breath. Raz walked over to Amy, checking in on her. "Anything?", Raz looked on the monitors, seeing her shake her head, a concerned expression still on her face. "No, I couldn't see anything. It could very well be that it simply is nothing like yours. After all we don't know that much. And Raz... try and hold back, he's new to this.", Amy saw his gaze fall on Mercury, before nodding at her.

Raz walked back towards Mercury, who was still lying there and grasping at his own chest. As he was struggling to breath, he looked up to the wolf, his eyes watering a little bit. Raz's eyes scanned his body, afterwards focusing on Mercury's eyes. "Try again. Show me the guy I met yesterday, who was strong and willing to risk his life for someone else.", coughing slightly, Mercury's finger wiped over his eyes.

Was this guy trying to kill or flatter him? Mercury felt his lungs slowly being able to breath normally again, one hand still remaining on his chest. He eyed the wolf, the scene of Sly and him still vividly in his memory. Mercury's eyes traveled over to Amy, looking at him with a cheerful smile and a thumbs up. His head fell back onto the ground, his eyes closed. Just what kind of 'squad' was he put into?

 **End of Chapter five.**


	6. Backstory: Execute The Executioner

**Sly Cooper and the Thievius Raccoonus  
(Yaoi Fan Fiction)**

 **For disclaimer : I do not own Sly Cooper or any of their Characters.**

 **Back-story: Chapter 2**

It was a rather relaxing moment. The way the sky was covered in a bright blue and clouds, a few distant huffs could be heard, and the ground was not, too, hard. Maybe, if he closed his eyes, they would just leave him alone. Feeling a soft tug on his shoulder, he guessed not, opening his eyes to see Amy. She pulled him up on his feet, pushing him forward from behind.

"This is torture, Amy, and you know it. You guys made me run for an entire hour, maybe two, every morning since two weeks. You let that guy beat me senseless several times, which ended with me barely able to tell left from right, and don't even get me started on the massacre on the shooting range. I'm starting to wonder... do you even have a soul?", Amy kept pushing him, a soft giggle escaping her lips. "Aww, come on, don't be so mean. You're getting better and better each day! I said I'll help you, but I never said it would be easy.", Mercury barely felt his legs, his head tilted slightly to throw Amy an unamused look.

Mercury sighed slightly, stopping in his steps, keeping himself from moving any further. "Come on, just a bit-", Amy looked at him, something clearly bothering him, as he avoided her gaze and scratched the side of his arm. He grabbed one of her hands, turning towards her. "Amy, I... don't get me wrong, you have helped me. But I'm here for more. You guys promised to help me find out what is wrong with me, but you couldn't tell me anything at all... and my parents, I wanted to find out more about their death, that's the only reason I intended to stay.", Mercury squeezed the hand a little bit, looking straight into her eyes.

"Oh...", Amy waited a moment before taking away her hand, a saddened expression becoming evident on her face. Was she hurt? Mercury shook his head, he had to find out more, after all that's why he stayed. Amy did end up making eye contact, a soft expression of happiness covering the layer beneath. "Well you could try talking to the general again, I'm sorry I couldn't help you at all...", Mercury felt his heart ache, seeing her try to smile. _Ouch._ Before he was able to say anything, she ran off, circling the field some more.

Mercury found his way down the long and familiar hallways, walking straight to the conference room. He stopped himself, seeing the door slightly a jar, getting close to listen for anybody inside. "With all due respect, Sir, leave him in the hands of someone else...", Mercury moved even closer, now peeking slightly around the edge of the door. "No, Raz, it's my decision. Now go gather your teams, you'll move out right away. We'll continue this talk later.", he saw the wolf salute, as he turned towards the door.

Mercury stepped back, walking a little bit down the hallway again. _Leave him in the hands of someone else, huh?_ His arms tossed around with the thoughts in mind, even making himself question, if he was mocking the wolf or if there is possibly something else to it. They might not have started off the right way, but he didn't think he was that much of a burden. Wait, why would he even care... Mercury wanted to get away from him anyway. His arms dropped, his head shaking slightly. Before he could finish his thought process, the door behind him barged open, Raz coming through with steady steps.

As he saw Mercury he stopped for a second, his eyes opening wide, before he went back to his normal and more serious look. "Pack your things, I'll get Amy. We've got work to do.", Mercury could only stand there and stare at him. "You mean...?", Raz walked past him, going for the training grounds. "We're moving out. You'll be with Mason's squad.", Raz left him standing there, his mouth agape. _Mason?!_

"Go inform them to get ready. We're meeting at the helipad in thirty minutes.", Mercury's eyes followed the wolf until he was out of sight, they slowly filled with fright. It took Mercury a moment to focus, before he could move towards the other quarters. Maybe they were in the canteen? He was just trying to keep his mind off of what's going to happen next. This was a little bigger than your usual thieving job.

 _There!_ Mercury could see Mason and his friends. Usually he would try and avoid them. After all they didn't start off with a bang either. A few days ago, Mercury accidentally caused him to trip over his foot. Slightly frightened he spewed out a lot of apologies, but it didn't seem to get through to the hawk at all, as he was ready to throw a mean fist right into Mercury's face. Luckily during that time Amy caught Mason's hand and stopped any further escalation. His friends laughed at him, a simple mouse stopping his punch. They didn't stick around much longer, leaving Mercury and Amy in the canteen.

"Mason?", the hawk and his friends stopped, as he turned towards Mercury with a fading smile. "You? What do you want.", Mercury held up his hands, seeing him and his squad surround him. "I... uh, I... Raz said we have to move out and to meet at the helipad in 30 minutes.", Mercury looked around, a few menacing pair of eyes trailing over him. Mason leaned down, getting close to his face. "Great, something else I need to know? Thirty minutes is a lot of time, enough time to make up for last Wednesday...", Mercury gulped seeing Mason come closer. He felt himself bump into something, turning to see his friends, the jaguar and fox, having formed a wall behind him.

Mercury started laughing nervously, still trying to back up. "You guys should start packing, otherwise our team might get in trouble...", Mason looked straight into his eyes before his gaze searched the eyes of his friends. He came down once more to level with Mercury. "Our team...?", Mercury got curious look of the three guys, as he tried to stand straight. "Raz put me into your squad, I'll be with you guys.", Mercury wasn't quite sure how to take it, but he saw a slow and vicious grin form on Mason's face.

After exchanging a quick glance, the wall behind Mercury was gone, a little bit of pressure visibly leaving Mercury. "That sounds great. I'll be happy to show you how we handle things out there.", Mercury closed his eyes and let out a sigh of relief, as Mason started walking past him. Without really noticing, he felt a soft tug on his foot. Mason seemed to accidentally have caught on to his foot, making him stumble into his friends. He recovered quickly, fury building in his eyes, clearly wanting to squish the raccoon then and there, but his friends stopped him, pulling him with. He squirmed, waving at Mercury.

Mercury just noticed, turning to him, to wave back at them. He stood there wondering how to take it. Maybe he wasn't such a bad guy after all? When Mercury got back to their own quarters, he walked in on Amy and Raz already geared up. They exchanged a quick glance, before Amy moved past Mercury, avoiding eye contact. Raz followed her, dropping a smaller military bag in front of Mercury. He opened it to find his own gear. This was the first time he would have to use it for something else than a training exercise. He slumped down on his bed, preparing the gear on his bed, the image of Amy walking past without a word still in his mind. He really messed that one up, didn't he?

 **-[The events of the squad's first mission]-**

Mercury's eyes scanned around the interior of the helicopter, looking for a face he could sympathize with. Most were covered in a grim layer, listening to the wolf up front, as he explained something. Mercury couldn't concentrate nor hear his words anyway. He wondered how any of these guys could, the whole thing was so god damn loud. He noticed Amy motioning him to put on his helmet, quickly putting it on, as he suddenly heard Raz speak through an implemented headset. _Oh._

"...make sure we get him back safe and sound. He's our only viable source to the Doctor's whereabouts. Failure is not an option.", Mercury gulped slightly, his ears barely picking up the rest. Raz kept explaining their position in the area, the ground each squad would have to cover. As far as he understood, this guy is supposed to be executed. But why? Mercury had such a weird vibe all over, making his spine chill a bit. The chopper lowered them down, this is it.

All of them were surely quick about their formation, Mercury barely seeing the others as they moved swiftly through the small city. Mercury couldn't place this this city at all, it's like nowhere, a small town resided in between the mountains in eastern Europe. How could a guy from such a small town know such a big secret?

Amy looked back over her shoulder, seeing Mercury disappear with Mason's squad. Raz noticed her growing worry, sighing to himself. "Don't worry, there is a reason I put him in Mason's squad. If everything goes smoothly, they will not even get close to any danger. But for that, I need you to focus, okay?", the mouse's eyes darted over to Raz, quickly filling with determination, as she saluted.

"Sir, the market place is just around the corner.", Raz and Amy came to a halt, eyeing the dog in front. They nodded, moving down from the high ground and below, being able to better inspect the situation. "We need some snipers up top, if anything goes wrong we'll need cover. To all teams check position and confirm.", Amy walked a few steps away from Raz, who was confirming positions all over the area. Amy tightly grasped her left arm, looking in the direction of Mason's squad. How could he bring him with? She usually was all for Raz's decisions, but bringing him along? He would have needed a few more weeks of training...

"Alright, let's move. We've got confirmation and it seems like they pushed the time schedule. He's already on his way to the assembly.", the squad moved forward, Raz eyeing the lone mouse in the back. He followed her gaze, seeing her turn slowly with with closed eyes. Amy let out a heavy sigh, drowning her worries and rushed past Raz in such a manner, that it even surprised him.

"That's right, I could have been promoted to general, but I said: 'No, I would be honored to work with Ephilus as my superior, I want to be closer to my friends than the position of general can offer.' I can't help it, my squad always comes first.", Mercury eyed Mason with fascination. _Was he really such a big shot?_ Mercury felt even worse, to think he made someone so important trip. And he seems really devoted to his friends... Mercury was nearly drowning in the need to apologize to him.

He saw the jaguar take cover behind some debris, opposite of them, as he crouched down near the fox. They actually had quite a close view of the scenery, putting the execution at hand aside, this place was quite beautiful. The sky's clouds hit the mountains next to them and the houses were old fashioned, yet, sturdy and definitely of beautiful craftsmanship. A loud bell managed to snap Mercury out of it, seeing the others lean in closer to inspect the assembly.

Mercury couldn't really make out the words and accusations, but the crowd was definitely not pleased with the man up for the execution. What kind of crime did he commit? He could see a hooded figure slowly step through the crowd, the hood portraying the face of a roughed out dead man, almost like a grim reaper. _The executioner?_ Mercury gulped, seeing his arms pull a great axe behind him, leaving a trail in the dirt. The crowd cheered at the literal incarnation of death, letting him pass through them to the steps up on the scaffold.

"Remember, we're the ones supposed to escort the hostage to safety.", Mason eyed his teammates, Mercury physically feeling the pressure and the seriousness in his eyes. There was this weird feeling becoming present inside of Mercury, the sudden silence becoming more and more evident. His eyes searched the scaffolding for the executioner, seeing him raise the great axe. The bell was still tolling in the background, Mercury's heart beating with every gong it struck.

The executioner brought down his axe, the crowd cheering ever so delightful. Before they could execute the man though, a loud bang occurred beneath, smoke taking over the area. The crowd screamed and everybody ran for their lives, seeing a troop of geared men storm the scaffold. "Alright let's move, that's our signal.", Mason rushed forth, Mercury finally able to snap out of the silent sensation.

The group storming the scaffolding overwhelmed the executioner and tossed the covered man down, Mason and the jaguar catching him below. The signal for retreat wasn't long after, as their squad brought the man back towards Mercury and the fox. Mason was quick with his steps, stepping past them, radioing their retreat.

Amy ran besides Raz, seeing the chopper in the distance. She looked at her team, hearing their heavy huffs. It didn't help that there actually was some kind of militia, even if one would consider them simple thugs with guns. They took cover, unable to make it to the chopper without clearing them out. "I sure hope you were right, I don't want him to get hurt because our intel on this group wasn't clear enough.", Raz focused on his shots, throwing her a quick glance.

With the cover fire of the other groups, they could safely return to the chopper, taking a deep breather. Yet, when Amy turned and her eyes searched for Mason's squad, she couldn't find them. "Raz, he's not here. They are not here!", after confirming himself, turning and looking for them, he quickly grasped his radio. "Someone tell me, where the hell is Mason's squad?!", the wolf was visibly upset, the few men around him slightly frightened.

"What do you mean: 'Why would they want to execute him?', it's obvious, that he did something bad. We don't need to know, we only need to know what he knows about the doctor. Now make sure you don't lose him.", Mason frowned back at him, pushing the man to him. Mercury caught him, leading him ahead, a weird feeling spreading in his guts. Something was off about this whole thing, would they simply let them take him and let them go?

Mercury's eyes scanned the horizon, inspecting the houses in the distance. What was that? There was this very small shimmer, something like a light reflection. "Mason?", Mason didn't even hear Mercury's call, his monologue drowning him out. _It moved!_ "Watch out!", Mercury pushed the man back, running forward to throw himself at the fox. He was in luck, a bullet flew right across their heads, penetrating the concrete on the way. Mercury and the fox lay there, their arms covering their heads.

"Snipers!", Mason got behind cover, the jaguar sitting down beside him. Mercury felt over the fox, seeing him rub over his head. "You alright? Sorry if that was a bit rough.", the fox smiled at him, crawling behind some debris. "The hell are you apologizing for? You saved my life.", the fox smiled over at Mercury, whose eyes trailed over to Mason. He just rolled his eyes and nodded at Mercury, signaling him to get into cover.

They could hear shots being fired in the distance, clearly their troops have found the sniper nest, it was only a matter of time before they could move out again. "Alright hold this position, let the other teams handle this.", Mason eyed his squad, seeing Mercury tend to the man. Suddenly the man broke out of Mercury's grasp, rushing forth. Mercury tried to follow, running past the squad, following the man out in the open. Mason looked after them, his eyes falling back to the sniper nest. _They spotted them!_

"Mercury! Get back, right now!", Mercury grasped the man, holding him tightly, his eyes seeing the light shimmer in the distance. The fear froze him solid, unable to move, his eyes locked with the shimmer. Mercury's gaze only slowly trailed back to Mason, seeing him rush after the two, doing just as he did before. Mason threw himself at them, Mercury stumbling back with the man in hand. They waited for the fire to cease, laying flat on the ground and hiding behind the debris.

Mason opened his eyes, slowly getting back on his feet. "Huh, see that? That's how you do it, rookie!", Mason looked around for Mercury, only seeing the jaguar's and fox's eyes follow something very rapidly. He turned to see Mercury tumble down the bridge they passed on their way here. The realization hit him hard, as he grasped at the ledge, hoping they would have a clear landing.

"There! Raz, it's them! Mason's squad took refugee down there. And one of them just tumbled down the bridge! I-...it's Mercury!", the wolf quickly grabbed her binoculars, Amy hearing him grit his teeth. "Mason that idiot. They were part of the backup, so why are they extracting the informant?", he looked further, seeing Mercury lay flat on the ground, not moving at all. Amy saw the frown on his face growing wider and wider.

Mercury's eyes opened slowly, through the slits he could see the informant. It hurt to move, but he had to get him out of here. Mercury tried to stand up, his arms and legs were all scraped up and it hurt, but he knew they needed this man. The sound of a door bursting open caught his attention, a big man stepping through, going straight for the informant. Mercury looked at the hooded figure, remembering him from the assembly. It was the executioner. He had to stop him!

"Hey!", Mercury picked up the nearest rock, throwing it straight at his head. He certainly caught his attention, the man's eyes glinting with a red shade, through the holes in the fabric. Mercury grasped for his holster, pulling out the pistol. Mercury tried to remember what Amy taught him, aiming through the iron sight. He pressed the trigger, pulling it several times. All he heard was a click, followed by another and another.

 _Oh no!_ Was this thing busted? Mercury hit it with his hand, pulling the slide back a few times, but nothing happened. The man stood right above him, kicking the gun out of his hand. Mercury looked up into his eyes, completely filled with fright. He couldn't move, he couldn't crawl away. Mercury only heard a very deep inhale, as the man lifted the great axe.

"Raz!", Amy quite literally cried out, looking back at Raz. He quickly ran back towards her, a sniper rifle in his hands. "I know, god dammit!", he pushed away some rubble, trying to get a flat surface to line up the shot. Amy saw Mercury struggle, fighting the urge to go down there herself. She saw him hold up his arms, but it was futile.

Mercury started to ignore the pain, slowly closing his eyes. Maybe he should have just left back then? He let Amy stop him, telling him they could help. He didn't want to blame her, but Mercury regretted not being able to see Sly one last time, maybe tell him something he wanted for so long. With the image of Sly in his mind, his eyes opened wide, he couldn't die now! The axe was high, and he was the target, but this can't be the end. He had to be able to run somehow.

His eyes trailed over the axe, then back to the man. With a light grumble he saw the axe come down. He shielded himself, hearing a loud echo of a shot. The impact of the axe beside of him made him take away his arms. Mercury saw the hooded figure struggling to stand, losing blood rapidly. As Mercury looked over himself, he noticed the sheer amount of blood sprayed all over him, covering him in a thick layer. Mercury barely recognized the loud thump, the executioner landing in front of him.

Mercury's eyes traveled all over his own body, before seeing the body in front, blood flooding out and towards him. He had never seen so much blood and neither a dead man. Mercury started squirming, hearing something slide down behind him. It was too much, as Mercury passed out, the world turning dark. Luckily, the fox caught his fall, Mason right behind the fox, kneeling down beside him. After exchanging a quick glance, the fox grabbed Mercury and Mason the informant, ascending back up towards the bridge.

Mason and his squad walked the last few steps towards the chopper, Amy already sprinting for Mercury. Almost making the fox tumble, she held up Mercury's head, opening his eyes to check for any reaction. "Get him inside the chopper, I'll take a closer look back at the base.", Amy stayed with the fox, walking them inside. Mason carried the man past Raz, noticing his stern gaze following his every move. Raz stopped himself before making a show out of this, but he certainly would ask them who put them so close to the front. It was time to go anyway. Mission complete.

 **-[Back at the headquarters]-**

Mercury felt some soft fabric covering his body. It was giving off a nice amount of warmth. He could hear someone talk in the distance, followed by a door being slammed shut. Mercury slowly opened his eyes, seeing the fox sit at the end of his bed. Was he in a hospital? The fox sighed, closing his eyes and scratching his head. He turned to Mercury, with one eye open, he realized he was awake.

"Hey, how are you feeling? Sorry if that commotion woke you up, I told them to keep quiet.", the fox leaned closer, a smile on his face. Mercury just shook his head, they weren't responsible for him waking up at all. Through the glass he could make out two silhouettes. "They've been going at it ever since we came back. Raz was real mad, especially since nobody could answer who was at fault for the miscommunication and placement of our squad.", the fox sighed, shaking his head slightly.

The fox turned his gaze from the door back to Mercury. "At least I managed to finally get them out.", he chuckled slightly, gaining a smile from Mercury. "Thanks... uhm...", the fox saw him struggle, as Mercury tried to sit up straight. "Careful... and the name is Vernell. Saved my life without even knowing my name at all. I can't thank you enough. My friends simply call me Vern.", Mercury looked at the smile growing on Vern's face, mirroring it to him.

They heard some loud steps outside, seeing the silhouettes being split, as the door bashed open. It was Amy, breathing quite heavily, stomping her way to the bed. She must have been in a hurry. Mercury saw her approach, raising her hand high. Was she going to slap him? Mercury squinted his eyes, awaiting the impact, leaving him slightly surprised as she embraced him in a hug. The pain he felt aside, he was glad it wasn't delivered through her palm in his face.

"Don't you dare scare us like that again!", Amy let go, pointing her finger right between Mercury's eyes. Vern stood up, walking next to her. "Give him a break, he just woke up.", she quickly turned, her finger pressed against Vern's forehead. "He's not the only one to blame. You guys have a lot of explaining to do!", Vern just remained calm, backing away slightly. Raz and Mason walked back into the room, walking up next to Amy.

Raz's stern look fell on Mercury, piercing him with his eyes. He felt his judgmental eyes looking all over him. "I'm serious though! If Raz hadn't reacted so quickly...!", Mercury saw Amy struggling with her words, his eyes trailing over to Raz. _So it was him, huh?_ "Be more careful next time.", Raz left in silence after those words, not even looking back once. _Jeez._ Mercury was just about to thank him, his gaze going back to the rest of them.

The image of Raz burned inside his head. ' _Be more careful next time_ '. Was this guy a robot? Mercury accidentally bit his lip a little bit, too, hard, a few drops of blood oozing out and dropping on his hand. Mercury quickly caught on to it, the simple effect of the color giving him a serious headache. _No!_ His mind send him back, showing it all over again, as he bashed his hands on his head.

"Don't take it personally, it's his own way of worrying about you.", the mouse's words did very little to stop Mercury's outburst. "Amy... Mason, Vern... thanks for checking on me, but I'd rather rest some more.", Mercury laid down on the bed, wincing slightly, as he closed his eyes immediately. Amy wanted to say something, but Vern stopped her, placing a hand on her shoulder. He nodded towards the door. Mercury definitely didn't feel like talking right now.

 **End of Chapter six.**


	7. I've Known Him Long Enough

**Sly Cooper and the Thievius Raccoonus  
(Yaoi Fan Fiction)**

 **For disclaimer : I do not own Sly Cooper or any of their Characters.**

 **Sly Cooper and the gang in: Tide of Terror**

"...it's nothing like that, you know I still have no clue how it works. It's...", Mercury trailed off, before sighing once more. "Sly... can you help me up?", Sly saw Mercury extend his hand to him, in need of a little help. Sly really wasn't sure, if this was some kind of trick, a way to talk himself out of it. Helping him stand, he pushed him to the wall, making firm and stern eye contact. Mercury noticed his gaze, realizing there is no way out of this.

"Fine, ...if you insist...", Mercury's eyes glinted, the light reflected perfectly by the hanging chandeliers. Sly got a very weird feeling, was Mercury making him feel like this? "After we left you guys on the streets, I was sure they were going to kill me, but instead they drove me to a pretty well secured and secluded fort. You must have noticed the heavy security on your way there... and may I add you are lucky you didn't set off the wasp's nest.", Sly's eyes didn't falter for a second, intent to find out everything.

"I had two choices. I could run, maybe get out with the slightest chance of success and team up with you guys. They would hunt us down until the end of days, and you'd never get to avenge your family. Or... accept to stay with them, train under their lead and help them on their missions... but I'd never get to see you again. That is what I had to agree upon...", Mercury saw Sly's mouth opening, leaving it agape, his stern gaze slowly fading.

"Don't give me that look... as if I had any other option. I wouldn't want to get in the way of your quest. After the agreement I was placed in this small squad and left in the hands of them. The general values the squad a lot, and doesn't shy away from assigning them to any missions, if any 'force' is needed. My instructor... Raz, you have met him, he is that big wolf, back from the night where we...", Sly saw Mercury sigh, sorting his thoughts, before he continued.

"Well, I was trained and it wasn't so soon after, that they brought me with on a mission. I would be lying, if I said I wasn't scared to death. But it went rather well, up until we were to return home. We were supposed to retrieve a man with valuable information. Yet, there were unforeseen consequences... snipers caught us out and worst of all I got split from the group. There I was confronted by this really big guy, he was supposed to execute the target beforehand, but we intercepted. He followed us and then he came for me...", Mercury's gaze evaded Sly at all costs, but Sly could see Mercury's hands visibly shaking.

"I did what I was trained to do, I wanted to protect the man, even if I could barely protect myself. I shot him, but the trigger didn't work, all I could hear were clicks. But I'll be honest, I don't think I could have shot him anyway. I saw him, the way his eyes looked at me, they were filled with death. It was weird though, my body couldn't move... and I was scared, yet for a moment my mind felt at ease. It was almost as if all my pain was lifted from me. For a moment I didn't mind dying-", Mercury felt Sly's hands tighten, pushing him firmly against the shelf.

"Mercury! What the fuck! Do you-...", Sly's eyebrows formed a mad frown, seeing Mercury talk about this in such a calm manner. "Don't be ridiculous, Sly. I said, I only felt that way for a moment, I don't feel anything like that anymore.", Sly felt him brush off the hands on Mercury's shoulder, seeing him walk a few steps ahead. "They helped me in the nick of time. I was horrified, as I was covered in all of his blood. I looked at the guy, wondering if he was dead. I had never seen anything like that and it was, too, much to take in at once. I was told they had to retrieve me and the informant, after I blacked out. I had nightmares about all the blood, and just now I... my mind must have played a trick on me...", Mercury grasped at his arm, pressing it tightly, as he turned to Sly.

Sly couldn't believe his ears, and if he had not just been there to hear it himself, he would have claimed everything to be a lie. But right now... something felt strange... was this really Mercury, the same guy he knew from before? "If you felt that way why would you...", Sly's eyes trailed over his friend, locking with his. "Why would I leave the van? Well, if I want to improve, what good is it going to do me, if I don't get out and get involved in the action? Your words Sly: 'I need to find my reason to fight.'", Mercury's lips formed a slight grin, his hand scratching at his neck. Even with Mercury's boosted confidence, Sly still felt uneasy and worried about his safety, especially after seeing his legs tremble with his words.

There is something off, why would such a quiet and shy guy try and act tough all of a sudden. "Are you sure? I'm not mad, if you think you've had enough.", Mercury's eyes closed for a moment, Sly saw him take a deep breath. The trembling in his legs stopped, as he opened his eyes, his smile growing wider. Mercury nodded at him, the two of them taking the barrel with them further into the library. Sly eyed his friend, his gaze never leaving him. Maybe he did change in that small amount of time...

Mercury sometimes glanced back, meeting Sly's gaze, smiling slightly. Yeah right, Mercury was more than scared, and would rather be in the van, but after what he said that would be more than embarrassing. He was glad, that Amy showed him those breathing techniques to calm himself. After the final carpet traps, Sly smashed open the case, getting their hands on the key. But, for what it's worth, Mercury felt relaxed right now. Was it the breathing exercise? Or the lips forming the familiar and refreshing smile towards him? Who knows?

After having left the library, the guys went straight towards the generator, Sly unlocking the cage, allowing them to step in close. Sly took a big wind up and swung his cane, smashing the generator with a hard blow. They could hear the fizzling faint slowly, the tunnel losing it's electricity and ability to keep conducting the power tube.

"Astonishing! All my calculations led me to believe you would fail to knock out that generator", Sly and Mercury took careful steps through the tube, as he grabbed his Binocucom to see Bentley. "Never was good at math.", Sly could hear a sudden squealing coming from behind. He turned to see Mercury tangled in seaweed, which protruded from the tube, laughing at the image of him spitting and slapping towards the seaweed. After having his share, Sly helped him, pulling him out of the entanglement. Mercury frowned, pouting at Sly for a moment, before walking past and out of the tube.

"Well, here's a real test for you... I've found a way up to Raleigh's hide-out, but unfortunately it is doomed to failure.", Mercury and Sly looked around, spotting Raleigh's blimp further up. Sly's eyes kept wandering, falling on a really big cannon. "You're not going to tell me I have to shoot myself out of that cannon?", Sly walked besides Mercury, checking the locks on the cannon. They would need more keys...

"I'm afraid that's the only way.", Bentley sighed, looking through the vision of the Binocucom. "Now you're talking!", Mercury knew Sly was excited, but this could turn out horribly. His fantasy going wild with images of Sly flying off course and drowning in the water. Sly spotted the worry in his face, his eyebrows raised and eyes fixated on the heavy locks. Mercury was all up to do his best and aid Sly, but he really questioned his enthusiasm sometimes. Sly snapped with his fingers, bringing Mercury back to the real world. He looked up at him for a quick glance, before getting back on his feet and walked up next to him.

"You're really scaring me, man. Anyway, to get inside that thing, you have to steal all seven of Raleigh's treasure keys.", Sly tightened his fist, walking further towards a small metal bridge. At the end stood a guard, luckily still unknowing of their presence. "So what are we waiting for? You show me those 'holo-whats-its'...", Bentley blinked a few times, his what now? "You mean my holographic markers?", Bentley saw him nod a few times, dismissing any further lecture. "Yeah, yeah – and I'll swipe whatever it takes to get shot out of that cannon and steal back my family's Thievius Raccoonus.", Sly put away the Binocucom, charging head first against the guard on the small bridge. Mercury followed as fast as possible, as he went for something resembling a small submarine.

"This thing can take you to where Raleigh's gang of crabs stashes away the sunken treasure. My calculations tell me, there is a key waiting down there.", Sly inspected the inside of the submarine, turning to Mercury with a slight smile. "Not enough room for two, you just wait here, alright?", Mercury nodded, but tightened a hand on Sly's arm for a moment, looking into his eyes. Mercury wanted to tell him he should be careful down there, but as he stood there wordless Sly simply smiled, ruffling through Mercury's hair. Mercury blushed slightly, letting him go. The submarine's lights blinded Mercury for a second, as Sly descended with it, Mercury seeing him smile towards him.

Mercury waited and sat there, his head leaned back to take in the full amount of rain drops, letting his feet dangle over the ledge. After a few minutes, he wiped away some drops out of his eyes, grabbing for his Binocucom. "Bentley, listen to me. Whatever plan Sly made you come up with, to get me out of that base, scratch it and move on without me.", Mercury could hear Bentley fumble on the other side of the connection, probably hacking into a connection to watch Sly.

"Uhm... uh-What makes you think that Sly told...", Mercury sighed, as Bentley's words faded more and more, ending in pure mumbling. "I've known him long enough, to know he would try something so stupid. I told him he should not already, and he may have agreed, but I know that was just for show. Bentley, all I am asking is... stay away. These guys are more than he can handle, and I've got my own matters to attend to with them. I don't want you guys to get involved in the trouble.", Mercury held the Binocucom to his chest, closing his eyes, feeling the rain drops trail down his face.

"Convincing Sly of that is not going to be easy, you know that, right?", as Mercury opened his eyes, he saw the submarine coming towards the ledge. Mercury eyed Sly closely, seeing his smile fade slowly, as their gaze met. "I know.", Mercury watched Sly step out of the submarine, retrieving the treasure key from one of the submarine's mechanical arms. Sly's wet footsteps came closer, Mercury looked up towards him, seeing him put the key in his backpack.

"Something wrong? Missed me?", Sly put on a coy smile, seeing Mercury smile slightly for just a second. He gestured towards the next marker. Walking behind Mercury he saw him stash away the binocucom. What did he miss?

The two of them stepped down through the entrance, where the holographic marker was placed, entering an almost hidden cave-like interior of the ship. It was weird, seeing planes and ships all over the place, being kept in such a constricted space. Walking past them, Mercury eyed many of the planes, the way they hang from the ceiling like they were still airborne. Traversing across the ship wrecks would not be easy, especially with the security around.

"Ahoy, deckhands. Capital job unloading that cargo last night. You're the crown jewel of my operation. Do me the service of proving your service yet again, by protecting the treasure key, that I have stored down there. It appears there is a prowler on the premises. And if any of you let him get his hands on that key, I'll-", the loudspeaker squeaked furiously, as it crashed down into the water, leaving only the cable to fizzle slightly. Sly turned to see Mercury, holding a nugget of gold in his hand. Mercury tossed the other at the further away speaker, causing it to spew sparks, stopping any further transmission.

"Well... that's one way to shut him up.", Sly met Mercury's gaze, smiling at him, as he dropped the rest of the gold. "You heard him, the last key is here. It's not like we needed to hear more.", Mercury looked over the railing, watching the speaker slowly submerge into the water. "I'm just saying that we can forget the stealthy way now.", Sly's finger pointed towards two guards running towards them. Mercury realized that he was a bit, too, hasty, getting behind Sly. He just smiled, as Sly rushed towards them, smacking them out cold.

"Now let's go find that key.", Mercury followed him, but that was easier said than done. The cave was filled with water, letting the ship wrecks float and shake around. Ascending towards the planes, they could see the treasure key and vault, but they would have to take a whole loop over the planes. Taking careful steps across the hanging planes and evading the spotlight, they spotted more guards below.

Sly dropped off of the rope, taking out the octopus, gesturing Mercury to come down. It wasn't that much further, and Sly did a great job at taking out the hostiles. They hopped on some scrap piles floating in the water, getting closer and closer to the last shipwreck. Two more guards... Sly's eyes trailed over to Mercury, feeling his slight tenseness. He poked his shoulder, gesturing him to soften up, before he jumped from platform to platform. Mercury followed him slowly.

Sly reached the end, spotting the first guard right ahead. This was going to be easy. However before he could start his leap towards the guard, Sly felt a hard tug on his foot. He turned to see his foot stuck in the wreckage, pulling on it only made it worse, as the guard heard the noise and spotted him immediately. The walrus came charging towards, ready to slam him flat with his belly. Sly readied his cane, but the walrus never reached him, as Sly saw Mercury fling himself at the guard.

Both had a rough landing, sliding over the rough deck, the guard smashed into the railing. Mercury recovered and stepped back swiftly, but realized the guard didn't move or rather he was unable to, his head stuck in between the railing. Watching the guard attempt to struggle, Mercury almost completely spaced out, only realizing Sly's distant cry out much later. Mercury turned to look over at the other guard, a golden star already on it's way. It felt much, too, close, as Mercury could literally feel it brush through his hair. The guard already threw another one, but this one was aimed at Sly.

Sly was still pinned, pulling on his leg furiously, not even noticing the star flying at him. Mercury struggled to run, seeing Sly slowly turn towards the golden star. It will hit him, regardless of what Mercury would do now... _Sly!_ Mercury's insides screamed, he can't let anything happen to him, he could not allow it. Mercury felt a small drop trail down his face, why would he start crying at a time like this. He had to try and throw himself in front of Sly, it was his only chance.

Mercury was overwhelmed by a sensational feeling, completely stopping him in his tracks and seemingly everything around him. _What is going on?_ His eyes looked around himself, seeing everything almost like a simple image, nothing moving at all. Mercury looked at his hand, why did it move almost normally? He shook his head, there were bigger things at stake. His eyes fixated on the star, a grumbling escaping his lips, he leapt at it, his fingers trailing over the metal.

Wow... it felt so smooth and so light. Mercury's grip on it tightened, almost like it was natural. The feeling slowly faded, Mercury saw Sly's gaze slowly lift towards him, meeting his gaze. With the metal in hand and the world almost back to normal, Mercury spun around, flinging the star at the guard, hitting him in his chest. The guard tumbled, stumbling back over the railing, into the water. Sly eyed his friend, seeing Mercury breathe in very short bursts, slowly turning towards him. Mercury got down on his knees, helping Sly out of the restraining wreckage, before falling back on his backside.

"Mercury... are you feeling alright? Don't tell me it just happened again.", Sly crouched down next to him, placing a hand on his shoulder concerned. Mercury felt so drained, like someone zapped out all of his energy. "I'm fine, let's grab the key and get out of here, okay?", Sly could tell by his tone, that indeed it did. Ever since the first incident, Mercury was terrified of himself. He had hoped Bentley could help, but at that time he was missing the technology and they could not and rather would not want to recreate the scenario.

Sly saw Mercury continuously rub over his right eye, a steady stream of tears forming in it. He didn't want to mention it or poke him with any more questions, quickly ascending towards the safe and key casing. Why didn't it stop? And why was it such an unbearable feeling in his eye? Mercury stopped rubbing, feeling the sight in his right eye fade in and out, unable to adjust itself properly.

After feeling the hand on his shoulder he realized Sly's return, finally they could leave this cave behind. With a treasure key in hand and a Thievius Raccoonus page to top it off.

Once outside, Sly immediately contacted Bentley, already on their way to the cannon. Sly kept an eye on his friend behind him. "Hey, Bentley, we got the last key, we're ready to go and meet Raleigh now...", Mercury's ears deafened out the sounds around him. He could hear his own heart beating, feeling it beat at a slightly faster pace than normal. Sly handed Mercury the keys, informing Bentley further on the matter.

Sly stowed away the Binocucom, seeing Mercury hold the few keys in his hand. "Hey, pal, you've helped me out a lot, you know that, right? I'm sorry for what happened there, and now more than ever I wouldn't be mad, if you want to go back to Murray and Bentley.", Mercury twisted the key inside the lock, it dropped with a heavy clunk.

"How'd you get the last key, we didn't have all of them, did we?", Sly just stood there for a moment. _Is he even listening?_ Sly got a little closer, seeing him insert another key. "Well... when you blacked out, I made sure there were no guards around and left you in the hands of Bentley. He watched you through the security feed and was ready to call me back in an instant.", Sly saw the next lock drop, Mercury eyeing the last key, before he turned towards Sly.

"I guess I really messed up there, if you want me to go back, I will.", Sly could clearly see his eyes darken. "Hey- hey, hey, hey... no, nobody thinks you messed up. I don't blame you for what happened, I was just worried. And especially now... I'm glad you were here, you saved me.", Mercury looked into Sly's eyes, taking a moment before the last lock dropped to the ground. Sly opened the hatch of the cannon, turning it to aim at Sir Raleigh's hide-out.

He stood at the open hatch, looking at Mercury with Sly's usual eyes full of hope. Sly could hear him mumble softly to himself. "Well? You coming?", Mercury's eyes trailed over his friend, traveling further to Raleigh's fearsome blimp and weather machine. Wouldn't he only get in the way? Mercury stood there, eyes fixated on the blimp, scratching at the nape of his neck. A chill went down his spine, as he felt soft breathing down his neck. _Sly?_ He stood right behind him, slowly he turned to look back at him.

"I think I'll p-", Sly gripped his shoulder tightly, swaying back and forth with him, towards the open hatch. "You think you'll punch him real hard? That's the spirit!", Sly pushed him further, Mercury practically tumbling into the cannon. "No, I'll pas- uff...", Mercury hit the metal inside, looking at his friend. Sly lit the fuse, lying down beside him and let the hatch drop. "I wanted to say that I'll pass.", Mercury could see the raccoon smile at him in the near darkness, his eyes being lit up by the moon shine coming through.

"Too, late now. Guess you'll just have to stick with me.", Mercury could hear the fuse reaching it's end. He never had an actual choice, did he? Mercury grumbled slightly, bracing for the flight. The cannon fired, launching them both through the air. The air pressure was overwhelming, Mercury shielded his eyes, seeing Sly simply embrace it and grimace with the pressure. Sly caught a glance of him, seeing him putting on such a serious expression. Sly pulled him in closer, smiling at him, as he pulled more twisted grins. But after the fun, Sly was back on track, breaking a window to the blimp, as the two them dropped in. _Is he ever going to take things seriously?_

 **-[Inside Raleigh's Hide-out]-**

 **Raleigh:**

"How delightful. We have guests. The only thing is... I HATE UNEXPECTED GUESTS!"

 **Sly:**

"Listen, Raleigh. Wipe out my family and steal what's mine, you better expect company."

 **Raleigh:**

"Ohhhhhh, I'm ever so sorry. How sloppy of me not to finish the job. Obviously we should have snuffed you out as well. So without further ado, let me make amends by, what... BLOATING TO GARGANTUAN SIZE AND SQUASHING YOU LIKE THE INSIGNIFICANT BUG THAT YOU ARE!"

 **Sly:**

"Bring it on."

Mercury felt like Sly was not entirely seeing in what situation they were in... water surrounding them, limited available space to actually fight, and worst of all a killer frog grown to gargantuan size after having swallowed a bee. Sir Raleigh leapt from his throne down towards them, flopping down on one of the platforms all around them. He came crashing forward, making their platform tremble immensely.

Sly pushed Mercury out of the way, dodging Sir Raleigh's attacks several times, as he slowly lost his size. After turning to his usual size, Sly quickly ran in and bashed him with his cane. Sly sent him flying into the water, from where he quickly jumped to the middle platform, swallowing another bee.

As he started his next assault, Mercury noticed the platform beneath his feet glowing with bright red bulbs. Was it going to...? Mercury was caught right in the middle of his thought process, as he quickly leapt towards Sly's platform. The other's all submerged in the water, leaving very little space for Sly to dodge Raleigh. Sly saw Raleigh's last jump go towards the edge Mercury was clinging to. He acted quick, his cane catching Raleigh's foot and pulling him back towards the middle. After he shrunk once more, Sly didn't wait to deliver another blow with his cane.

Sir Raleigh returned to his platform, slightly agitated by his 'guests'. Sly grasped for Mercury's hand, pulling him upwards on the platform. A quick thankful nod was all he could give him, as Raleigh smashed down in between them once more. Sly acted quickly, pushing them apart carefully. Mercury noticed the platform they were one was about to submerge, the red bulbs setting him off. He quickly went to Sly, grabbing for his hand, as he jumped for the next platform. Raleigh followed them platform by platform, Sly keeping a close eye on him, as he shrunk down behind him again. Another blow hit, as the two of them stopped in their tracks.

Sir Raleigh was fueled by his anger, his tongue catching another bee, as he descended to them one last time. Raleigh's tongue lashed out, his body kept twisting and twisting in a circle, trying to catch the both of them and send them into the water. Sly jumped over the tongue, seeing Mercury crouch beneath him. Mercury's hands came dangerously close to the tongue. What was he doing? He finally stood up, his hands catching it and gripping it tightly. The lash pushed him around hard, almost sending him flying, but he could finally get himself to stop, feeling Raleigh nervously trying to pull his tongue back.

"Sly, he's all yours.", Sir Raleigh's eyes caught Sly coming down from above, his cane giving Raleigh a final knockout blow, sending him flying, crashing into the pole in the middle.

 **Raleigh:**

"Blast it all! You've beaten me! Well, gloat all you want, Sly Cooper. You're no match for Muggshot, my villainous cohort in Utah. You will see, Mesa City is so well-guarded, a snake couldn't slither in without setting off alarms! Uahahaha."

 **-[Raleigh's Aftermath]-**

"Raleigh's section of the Thievius Raccoonus held detailed instructions on how to perform my ancestor's Rioichi Cooper's ninja spire jump. A technique he developed while sneaking into the thickly fortified castle's of feudal Japan.

Finding a way off of Raleigh's boat got a little tricky, with the untimely arrival of Inspector Fox. Who, failing to find me, busted Raleigh and his crew.

With the storm machine out of commission, boats found their way back on the ocean and the mystery of the welsh triangle faded from memory.

While we would have enjoyed to stay a little bit, take in the scenery... and local treasures, we promised Mercury to be back in time. He would soon realize, that one never easily gets rid of a Cooper."

 **End of Chapter seven.**


	8. Infiltrating The Wasp's Nest

**Sly Cooper and the Thievius Raccoonus  
(Yaoi Fan Fiction)**

 **For disclaimer : I do not own Sly Cooper or any of their Characters.**

 **-[Near the army headquarters}-**

The van's wheels came to a halt, leaving a trail in the mud beside the road. Mercury turned to the guys in the front, first looking at Murray. "Watch over yourselves. I hope to see you guys again, especially you, big guy.", Mercury leaned in to hug Murray, seeing a tear trail down his cheek as he leant back. He turned to Bentley, hugging him and without further words turned to the door. Sly waited, looking into Mercury's eyes. He noticed the way he was staring, but felt embarrassed because no words wanted to come out.

There was something Mercury wanted to say... yet, he could not do it. Instead he eyed Sly, a change towards seriousness becoming apparent, one Sly wasn't used to see in his eyes. "Sly I know you promised, but I'm asking you again... don't try to bust me out of there.", Sly simply played it off, shaking his head and rolling his eyes.

"Here, pinky-swear. I repeat, I will not try to bust you out of there.", Mercury's eyes locked with Sly's. With a judging look on his face, he eyed him closely. _Really?_ No way was it going to be this simple. Sly Cooper giving up on something sounds, too, good to be true. Mercury's eyes traveled over Sly in a doubtful matter, his gaze going through the van to land on Bentley. He couldn't see all of Bentley, but definitely noticed his accelerated speedy while twisting his thumbs.

"A pinky-swear isn't something you should take that lightly, Sly.", Mercury linked his pinky with Sly, seeing him put on one of his most delicate and innocent smiles. _Is he for real?_ Mercury inspected Sly closely, his smile tearing into him. It kind of hurt seeing him put on that smile. Would he really do nothing? _Stop._ Mercury shook his head. After all he didn't want to be saved. At least he wants to believe he doesn't want to, but seeing Sly like this made him slightly doubt himself. _Tsk, dammit!_

Mercury turned to the door and jumped out of the van before his mind could go any further. He turned, wanting to slam the door shut, but a hand stopped him. _Sly?_ Mercury looked at him, his questioning look finally getting Sly to speak. "I'll at least walk you 'home'.", Sly jumped out of the van, stepping next to Mercury.

Mercury's eyes darted from Sly, back to the interior of the van, to Bentley and Murray, before landing back on him. "And no foul tricks?", Sly put on a big toothy grin, slowly walking ahead. Mercury smiled to himself, turning to Bentley and Murray. He waved them goodbye, before running after Sly. Foul trick or not, Mercury had to admit it was nice to simply walk alone with Sly.

Mercury watched his every move, expecting him to do anything out of the unusual, but soon enough they reached the same spot where Sly met him after his disappearance. Mercury exhaled softly, whether it was out of relief or slight disappointment... he wasn't sure himself. Sly turned around to look into Mercury's eyes, leaning against the fence. "Before you go... can I expect you to help us with the others, too?", Sly's eyes evaded Mercury's at first, his hand scratching his neck and adjusting his hat.

"Well... if I'm not currently getting killed by my instructor, you can count me in.", His eyes met Mercury's, a soft chuckle escaping Sly's lips. _Yeah... that wasn't necessarily a joke..._ Sly boosted Mercury a little bit so he wouldn't get caught on the fence, turning to see him land in the spot where it all started. "I hope to see you soon.", as soon as the words left Mercury's mouth he regretted them, seeing Sly put on tempting smile.

"Sooner than you think.", with that Sly vanished, running off into the distance. Mercury could barely see him anymore. _That sounded almost like a threat. But he promised..._ Mercury walked away from the fence, stretching his arms. He shook them a little bit, feeling quite sore. Then again who wouldn't feel sore after a full night out? Mercury traveled the long passage ways on his way to their quarters, hearing some distant huffs. There were people already training.

Yeah, this wasn't going to be a good day. _Almost there..._ Mercury jumped, something landing right behind him with a loud 'thump'. He turned quickly to spot the threat, seeing a figure stand behind him. "Excuse me for dropping in so suddenly, but I'm looking for somebody to show me around, you got some time?", Mercury slowly straightened himself, clearing his throat, as his breathing became more regular. "Ehm... of course, I'm Mercury, what's your name?", Mercury looked over the figure, as it stepped out of the shadows.

Slowly it was unveiled of its shadows. The guy was sporting some black boots, a green camouflage outfit covering his legs and torso. The arms were free and a tail became visible. _Those stripes... wait a minute._ The figure raised his head, the green hat revealing a face covered in a wide grin. Mercury was swarmed with thoughts, unsure which trail to follow first. His eyes grew wider by the second, his hand clenching to a fist.

Mercury finally recovered, charging Sly and pushing him into the wall. "Ow. Hey, hey, calm down.", Sly saw Mercury practically light up, going off like a short fuse. "You promised! If anybody sees you here, it will be my fault. I don't want you guys to go to jail... or worse!", Sly tried his best to calm Mercury down, feeling his fists bump into his chest, again and again. Sure, Sly expected him to be slightly angry, but it's like someone flipped a switch on him or something.

Mercury felt completely overwhelmed, falling to his knees, feeling a painful rush going through his head. The pain focused on his right eye, as he fell back further, landing on his backside. "You-...You gave a pinky-swear...", before being able to go further, Mercury collapsed in front of Sly. He quickly leaned down, inspecting his friend to see if he could help. He seemed to be aware, but unable to move...

Sly had to look for someone... and luckily enough someone came along, but why was she charging towards him with such a fierce gaze? Sly felt the impact of her kick, being knocked into the hard stone wall. Sly wanted to ask what that was for, but she quickly grasped his arms, pinning him on the hard floor. "Whoa, lady, what are you doing?", she didn't really talk much, her fierce gaze locked onto him and only him. Sly saw her raise her arm in an attempt to knock him out.

"Please, listen, I'll do whatever you want, but get my friend some help.", she stopped, a frown forming on her face. "Friend? You two were fighting...", still unsure what to do to Sly, she remained still and kept him locked down. "I-...no... we had a little fight, but I did not mean to hurt him, he simply collapsed. Just when I wanted to look for help, you showed up. Please, let's help him first, then take me to a cell...", she was obviously confused, but Sly saw her move in closer to inspect his face.

"Smile for me.", now it was Sly's turn to be confused. He was laying there, a mouse pinning him down and out of the blue she asks him to smile? "If you want me to help you, smile...", Sly frowned at first, but did as she said, giving it his best shot. How was this supposed to help Mercury? She was inspecting him closely, holding his face to look into his eyes. After a moment she smiled, releasing him out of her grasp to walk over to Mercury.

"Hey... Mercury, can you hear me?", the mouse saw him move his head slightly, listening to her voice. "A-Amy...?", Amy smiled down at him, helping Mercury sit back up. She positioned him against her knees, one of her hands going through his hair. "What happened? A little lovers quarrel?", Sly looked down at her with a blush, walking towards the two of them. "Who are you?", Amy's fingers kept going through Mercury's hair, as she looked up at Sly with a smile.

"I'm Amy, one of Mercury's squad members. It's nice to meet you, Sly. Ehm... excuse the rough 'introduction', but I swear from a distance it looked very different.", Sly smiled at her, kneeling down beside Mercury. "Can't let Raz see...", his words came out as a soft mumbling, as Amy pulled Sly closer, changing position with him to look at Mercury's face. "What did you say? What about Raz?", Amy saw Mercury raise his head, slowly opening his eyes. Once his eyes were completely open, his gaze rested on her, before ascending further to look at somebody behind her.

"Something wrong?", Amy recognized the voice instantly, but couldn't lift her eyes off of Mercury's. Raz looked down at her simply staring at Mercury. Amy stood up and turned to face Raz, placing some soft pats on his cheeks. "I think we should let Mercury rest for the day, meanwhile you could show the rookie around. I heard he belongs to Mason's squad. Have fun!", Mercury felt Amy tug him away from the scene, only able to glance back shortly to see Raz and Sly stare after them.

 _Amy... no! No! Don't let this happen... please._ It was too late however, as she already dragged him away from the two and into the unknown. After they left, as Sly and Raz looked after them, Raz turned to Sly, crossing his arms. He eyed him with a firm gaze. "Yo!", Sly grinned, leaning back against a wooden beam.

Mercury knew he had to do something, anything at all, but his body didn't seem to listen. His head was flooded with the consequences, if Raz would find out about Sly. Mercury felt Amy pushing him into a chair. His eyes rested on Amy, his arms struggled to push himself up on the chair. "Amy...", she seemed so distracted, Amy couldn't even hear his soft voice at all.

Amy placed Mercury's chin on a small plate. "Alright, I need you to look straight ahead.", Mercury swallowed down to wet his throat a little, before he followed her instructions. "Amy... please listen...", she was scooting around on her spinning chair, simply continuing her work. The machine clicked a few times, causing Mercury to flinch, shutting his eyes.

Amy moved the machine out of the way, pulling the pictures on her desktop. Mercury felt some of his strength coming back, moving a little higher to see what she was doing. He waited for her to scoot a little closer, before he extended his arm towards her. She giggled, shaking with excitement. "Amy!?", Mercury touched her shoulder, nearly making her jump in the air with his sudden outburst. She saw him barely able to hold onto the chair, moving quickly to sit him back down.

"Hey, I'm sorry. You need to relax, let me-", Amy stopped, feeling Mercury grasp at her hand and placing it down on the chair rest. "There's no time. We have to get Sly out of here. I don't want anything to happen to my friends...", Amy tighten her grasp on his hand, scooting closer into his view. "Alright, okay... but before we can do anything, I'll have to care for you. It seems like it changed properties and manifested in your eye.", she spun in her chair, rolling over to her desk.

 _Changed properties... manifested?_ "Amy you're going a bit fast right now. What are you talking about?", Mercury saw her turn around with a smile, returning to him with a printed image of his eye. "Notice something different?", he inspected the picture closely, his finger tracing over what seemed like an error and overdose of printer ink. It simply seemed like a faulty print out, at least that is what one would normally settle with. Yet, Mercury vaguely remembered that he has seen this before, as he slowly lifted his head to look at Amy.

"I saw this before... back when I first came here, I noticed this weird discoloration in Raz's eye. What exactly is that?", Mercury saw Amy grasp for something, revealing a mirror, as she held it towards him. "I could go into detail, but we would be sitting here for hours, especially since most is still simply theory...", Mercury slowly grasped for the mirror, inspecting his eye, the other hand simply trailing below it.

"What I really need to know now is, if you have ever felt something like this before today. Like a soft inconvenience in your eye, a profuse outlet of the tear ducts, maybe simply a headache?", Mercury put down the mirror, trying to recall any of her mentioned circumstances. "Yeah, some go way back, like several weeks, another was just last night.", Mercury saw Amy's tail wiggle in excitement. "Tell me more, why and when did it happen?", even though he didn't fully understand why it was relevant, Mercury remembered further what happen at the time.

"I-... there was one time where Sly was about to be overrun by a vehicle... it was weird and I barely remember anything, but when I came to, I remember awakening to a severe headache and Sly told me how I was unable to stop crying. I couldn't move that much, so Sly took care of me, that's when I accidentally-...", Mercury stopped, realizing he was blushing severely. He noticed Amy stare at him, her smile bright, as if she knew exactly what he was thinking. Mercury turned to look away, coughing slightly.

"And the same happened last night... Sly was caught and there were these goons. But this time it was different... I remember exactly how I stopped and stood there. How I felt like I was in stop motion, the way I moved over and threw this golden star into that goon's chest...", Mercury stopped talking, a hand moving to his mouth to cover it. Amy noticed him slightly curling together, closing his eyes.

"Hey, it's okay. I think I understand how you feel. And you said more than enough.", Amy caressed his back, slowly lifting his head to look at him. "Alright, I'll take you back to our quarters, you need to rest and-", Mercury stopped her abruptly, his hand still covering his mouth. "I can't go yet, what about Sly?", he felt Amy's hand slowly helping him up and stand straight. "I'll take care of it, so don't worry about it. I'll talk to Raz and see what I can do.", Mercury felt slightly less tense, lightening up on her shoulder.

"So you're saying you joined the army because you want to be able to travel around. I don't want to pop your bubble, but you realize this isn't your next door holiday provider. You will be sent on missions like everyone else and these can be dangerous, fatally so.", Raz tread down the pathway, Sly slowly following in his footsteps.

"Don't worry, I'm an all-time specialist when it comes to dangerous. I eat bad guys for breakfast.", Raz glanced back at the raccoon, seeing his smile expand, almost matching his cockiness. Raz didn't want to stir up anymore unneeded questions, having heard enough, as he simply let out a 'hmph'. On their way through the base Raz and Sly came across Mason, as he went down the pathway for a morning jog.

"Mason, come here for a minute. Amy told me you got a new recruit for your team, I showed him most of the locations, so why don't you fill him in on your squad's schedule? Bring him back in one piece later.", Mason stopped his jogging motion, slowly walking up to them. "Really, right now? I was just going out for my morning jog... ugh, fine. Come on.", Raz watched Sly walk past him, Mason throwing an arm around his shoulder as he walked him down the pathway.

"We'll continue this later, Sam.", Sly quickly turned to wave at him, before returning his attention to Mason. "And? How's he doing?", Raz was surprised to see Amy return so soon, as he turned his head to look at her. "Horrible back-story, his reason to join the army is lackluster, if not completely nuts and he didn't even bother to change the first letter nor the number of letters in his name. I would be surprised, if he was able to fool anyone. Tell me again why we aren't reporting this to the general?", Amy chuckled, stepping besides Raz to watch Mason and Sly walk away.

She got closer to him, climbing on his shoulder to whisper into his ear. "Because you promised... and you owe me.", Raz sighed, feeling her grasp loosen, as she dropped down. "He'll need to fool everyone, simply because... we need him to stay.", Raz turned to Amy with a slight frown. "I know what you're thinking, but it finally happened, it actually showed itself and manifested for the first time! I think Sly has something to do with it, so I beg of you don't tell the general and let him stay.", Raz saw her put on pleading puppy eyes, as he let out an even deeper sigh, rubbing over his tired eyes.

"We'll all get in trouble for this, once he finds out. There isn't even room for an if. So what did you find out? How exactly is it linked to that guy?", Amy jumped with excitement, pushing herself against Raz. "Mercury said he had these instances where he had trouble moving after 'something' happened, sound familiar? Wait... here.", Amy pulled out the printed picture of Mercury's eye, handing it to Raz.

"Notice how it is alike, but not exactly the same. I wonder if the color has a meaning to it, since his took the color of purple instead of a dark shade of brown like yours. But nevermind that right now... every time it happened, Sly was also involved, so there has to be a connection, but I can't tell just yet. He also mentioned that on a recent occasion, he actually remembered what happened, and how it felt. Mercury said he experienced everything as if it was in stop motion... did something like that ever happen to you?", Raz was still inspecting the picture, as he handed it back to Amy.

"I remember the first few times it happened that I was unable to move also, but I never had any instances where things were going in stop motion.", Raz scratched his neck, trying to remember anything further back in his memory. "We can find out more later, right now we should leave him alone.", Amy patted Raz on the arm, making her way back towards her equipment.

"Amy, wait-... uhm, so how is Mercury now?", she turned towards Raz with a playful smile. "Do I hear a slight bit of concern in your voice?", he crossed his arms, frowning at Amy angrily. She stepped back slightly, a big grin still on her face, as she raised her hands in protection. "I'll see you later during training, big guy.", with that Raz walked off, leaving Amy to slightly giggle to herself, before she returned to her schedule.

Mercury laid in his bed, unable to truly rest his mind. What would happen if he didn't listen to Amy, what would they do to Sly and the others? A soft clicking sound awakened him, as he opened his eyes to look into Amy's. "Hey, how are we feeling?", Mercury smiled, as he slightly lifted his head, noticing it was Sly who closed the door. Mercury's eyes lingered on him for a moment, before returning to Amy with a faded version of his former expression.

"Listen, I talked to Raz and there's nothing to worry about. He promised me he wouldn't say anything, and I know him, he is a man of his word.", Mercury's eyes slightly widened, straightening up to try and get on his feet. He could at least somewhat feel them again, so now is their chance. "Thank you so much for actually persuading him, let's get Sly out of here.", Mercury stumbled slightly, his leg still numbed down a little bit.

He grasped for Sly's arm and pulled him towards the door, yet, he didn't move a bit. Mercury turned to him with a questioning look, his eyes darting from Sly, to Amy who stood up, her hands entwined. "No... no, no, no, no, no, no. I don't like where this is going. We're getting him out of here, I don't even want to hear it.", Mercury slowly let Sly's arm go, hearing Amy's soft steps, as she walked over.

"I know you might not want to hear it, maybe you're scared of the general's words, but I already told you, there's nothing to worry about.", Mercury turned towards her, his eyes lit up in a spark. "Yes there is, what I am worrying about is right in front of me.", Mercury pointed his finger at Sly, as he backed off slightly. "And you... you know exactly how I feel about this, I told you why you can't stay. I thought you would respect that...", Sly frowned slightly.

"So you're scared that if I get caught here, it's going to be your fault? I came here by myself, it was a choice I made.", Mercury frowned back at him, seeing Amy hesitate, whether she should intervene or not. "Oh, so you listened for two seconds and the rest was unimportant to you? Was I talking, too, fast for you, hm? Whatever...", Mercury made his way towards the door, as Amy pushed herself past Sly, grasping for Mercury's shoulder.

As she stopped him from moving further, he didn't turn to face her, but at least he stopped in his tracks. "We need him to stay. He is our only chance to understand what exactly is going on inside of you.", Mercury brushed her hand off of his shoulder, continuing to step through the door frame. "Mercury...", Sly extended his arm intending to stop him, but he stopped himself, seeing Mercury turn his head to look back at them. His right eye was flaring at them with intense color, the dark purple contrasting the rising sun seen through the door frame. They felt mesmerized, as Mercury turned towards the door, his gaze falling to the ground.

Amy and Sly remained still for what felt like an eternity. She could finally regain herself, her gaze trailing towards Sly, who was still staring at the now shut door. "What happened to him...? That definitely is not the Mercury I know... it can't be.", Sly's gaze slowly went towards Amy, who folded her hands, as she stared towards the door. "There is a high possibility that his body is undergoing some changes... these could possibly affect his entire body, even hormones.", Amy frowned, still trying to understand it herself.

"You mean he finally hit puberty?", Sly chuckled, trying to lighten the mood a little. Amy smiled for a moment, before her expression became serious again. "That is kind of correct, sort of. It follows the same principle, but this one works differently. His body is changing to allow the lepidoptera to grow and to further their symbiosis.", Sly saw Amy turn away, holding her chin, clearly thinking about something.

"Lepidop... what now?", Amy turned to Sly, seeing his clearly confused gaze. "Lepidoptera. Simply put it's a butterfly. If I am correct, he should calm down sooner or later. His body's immune system might be fighting against the first actual contact with the lepidoptera's hormones to allow their symbiosis, thus causing this mood-swing. There are so many factors, which we have to count in, for example...", Sly saw her run around the room, her thoughts ending in slight mumbling.

Sly watched her for a moment, before leaving her to quietly think how to advance from here. Sly was about to go and shadow Mercury, when he heard his Binocucom beeping out of his back pocket. "Sly, come in. I hope operation 'Infiltrating the wasp's nest' was a success.", Sly grasped for the Binocucom, slightly smiling at the turtle. "It's still ongoing, what do you need Bentley?", Sly heard him stop typing on his computer.

"Ongoing?! You should have completely filled in your back-story already and-!", Sly held the Binocucom off to the side, the turtle nearly bursting his ear drums. "Bentley, relax that is all taken care off. Now what did you want to tell me?", Bentley moved some images, showing Sly the second of the fiendish five. "I got his location, once you are set we are ready to go.", Sly held the Binocucom close against his chest, looking around the compound. Now all was set, except for one thing... _Mercury, where are you..._

 **End of Chapter eight.**


	9. Backstory: Inner Conflict

**Sly Cooper and the Thievius Raccoonus  
(Yaoi Fan Fiction)**

 **(There seemed to be a review that I failed to pass through the site's moderating. I thought it would go through on it's own, but it didn't... seems I am still not that familiar with this site. :D Don't worry, I saw it! The person said he is excited to see how Mercury and Aaran would react to the spine chilling, metallic owl known as Clockwerk. All I can say for now is... With Sly at his side there's nothing that could go wrong, right?)**

 **Back-story: Chapter 3**

 **For disclaimer : I do not own Sly Cooper or any of their Characters.**

 _Argh, stop! What is wrong with me?!_ Mercury held his head, his fingers slightly clawing at his temples. There was a surge of power flowing through his body, the most of it residing in his heart, as he literally felt it quicken by the second. He felt his breath, rapid at first, trying to keep up with the heart's rough pounding. In another moment the pumping stopped entirely. Mercury thought he was experiencing a heart attack, but then how was he able to calmly breathe in the next moment? Did he die?

The feeling spread, as Mercury felt his leg starting to twitch. If he was dead he wouldn't feel that anymore, so is he alive? It kept going, the feeling expanding to his other leg, almost like it urges him to use this excessive power to... _run?_ Mercury looked back, his eyes trailing over the person slumped down, their back against the wall. With his eyes shut and head aching, Mercury turned towards the long pathway, running as fast as he possibly could, making his way to the training field. His mind was in havoc right now, only able to keep running forward.

As his feet hit the somewhat soft ground of the training fields, his eyes lined up with the tracks, his body swiftly following the lines. How long would he keep going? He barely felt his own body, even hitting a piece of iron on the way, yet, his body kept him going, ignoring the pain. The seconds he ran quickly turned into minutes, easily passing lap after lap. How many did he already run? He didn't know, his mind was a blank slate right now. He felt some sweat pearls trail down his brow, his breath rapid again, trying to supply his body with the much needed oxygen. Finally his body started to collapse, unable to handle the exercise any longer. His mind cleared, the power exhausted. He hit the dirt with a loud thud, a small cloud of dust forming at the impact. His eyes slowly closed, checking his vicinity... _Sly..._

With his entire body strained, he only slowly opened his eyes. There was someone trying to wake him, he could feel their soft touch on his shoulder, their voice echoing in his head. The sunlight was shining brightly into his face, his eyes now partially open could make out Amy. "Rise and shine, sleepy head.", she removed her hand, placing it on her knee, as she crouched in front of Mercury. Her eyes wandered over Mercury, noticing the dirt on his trousers and torso. "But from the looks of it, you could use some more rest. What have you been up to?", Mercury rubbed over his eyes, trying to stay awake.

"I-... I don't know... I think I was running, at some point I must have passed out.", he looked around, noticing he wasn't lying on the tracks anymore. Someone must have picked him up and moved him out of the sun. His head still felt a little fuzzy, his eyes resting on Amy. "Hmhm... well, as long as you feel alright. Do you feel like tagging along? I just quickly wanted to check up on something and head onto the shooting range. As far as I remember you skipped our last scheduled session.", he tried to avoid her gaze, a slight smile covering his otherwise exhausted face.

Amy helped him to his feet, where Mercury brushed off some of the dirt, before following her. "I left my PC running yesterday. Let me just check some data and we're off.", Mercury saw her jump on her chair, simply sliding through the messy surrounding she called her 'special place'. She went from one side to the other, quickly tapping some buttons, stopping to stare at a screen for a moment.

Mercury's hands entwined, his fingers fiddling around. "Amy, about before, I wanted-...", he saw her extend a finger, gesturing to hold his thought for a moment. "This is weird...", she repeatedly tapped some buttons, eyeing the screen closely. Suddenly she went mad, practically jumping off of her chair. "Stupid piece'a'junk!", she hit her equipment quite harshly, Mercury questioning if aggressiveness was the way to go here. She turned to him with a frown, her palm pulling down her face, as she stared in his direction.

"I leave it running once and some idiot messes with it. I do my entire calculations with this thing, what am I supposed to do now? My entire work is nullified!", she slumped back in her chair, her head falling over the backrest, looking at the numbers upside down. Through the cluster of his thoughts, he did remember hitting something on his way while running. _Was that Amy's equipment?_ "Ehm-... I barely remember, but it might be my fault. I'm really sorry! I am sure when I was running on the tracks I hit something on the way. It could have been your stuff...", her ears twitched slightly at his words, straightening instantly, returning to her computer.

"So you hit my stuff... and you said you were running until you collapsed, right?", she turned to him with eyes full of obsessive thoughts, slightly frightening Mercury. Getting out of her chair, she went around the back, Mercury hearing her humming, clearly retrieving something which was on the tracks. "I-...Uh... yeah, basically...", he wasn't sure what exactly she was doing, but she came back with some sort of handle, a clear dent visible. Mercury gulped looking at the handle. "Oh no... Amy, I'm really truly sorry. I didn't mean to mess with your stuff.", her hand went over the dented part. "What did you hit it with?", her eyes studied the handle carefully, returning to Mercury afterwards. "I ran into it. Listen, if I can help you retrieve any of your lost work just tell me. I really didn't mean it.", Amy simply smiled at him, thankfully declining the offer.

"I think it's about time we go and practice your shooting.", after another second she turned, pushing him towards the shooting range. "What about your equipment?", Amy led him further, walking past him to take a hold of his hand. "Nevermind that, I'll take a look at it later.", she smiled back at Mercury. She eyed him for a moment, as he cocked his head at her. Mercury wondered where all the frustration over her equipment failure went, her eagerness and excitement clearly shining through.

Mercury tried to concentrate, but his grip constantly seemed to loosen, his hands shaking slightly. Amy was sitting next to him, her feet swaying back and forth. She saw him struggle to pull the trigger, not that it was a hard shot... it was like seven to eight meters distance, so what's wrong? She cleared her throat, Mercury's eyes trailing over to her, then back to the dummy. He held it straight, readjusting the height and his aim several times. She saw his troubled expression, so there was something holding him back.

"What's wrong, Mercury?", his eyes lifted for a bit, a troubled frown upon them. "I don't need to do this, Amy. I know how to operate a gun.", Amy rolled her eyes, jumping off of her crate. "Practice makes perfect... and after your last performance out in the field you still haven't learned to turn off the safety.", he felt her hands moving on the gun, turning a small switch, as they embraced his. Amy could feel him shaking, her hands staying on top of Mercury's to try and calm him down.

"Now tell me, what's really going on?", Mercury's hand rubbed over his tired eyes, looking into Amy's. Mercury let go of the gun and left it in her grip. "...you still have those nightmares?", Amy's hand tightened on Mercury's, getting behind him to embrace him in a hug. "It has gotten better, please don't worry about that. If Raz found out, what would he think about me?", he had a big grin over his lips, slightly shuffling in her embrace to turn towards her.

Amy saw the smile on his lips change, his expression changing into a serious and thoughtful demeanor. "I'm just feeling a little dizzy, I would like to sit down for a moment.", she led him over to the crate, slight worry became obvious in her eyes. Amy got back to her practice, but kept a steady eye on Mercury. "You wanted to tell me something before, didn't you? I just remembered... I'm sorry for putting you on hold, what was it?", Mercury raised his head, seeing Amy turn towards him.

Mercury sighed softly, his hand going through the hair on his neck. "...right. I don't know what has gotten into me lately, sometimes I feel like there is something seriously wrong and I wanted to say thank you. Thank you is probably not enough after what happened earlier, but- urgh...", Mercury felt the dizziness worsen, feeling his body fall back against the wall. He saw Amy move towards him, her hands shaking on his torso, before it went black.

 **-[Earlier... Sly's search for Mercury]-**

Quick in his step, Sly turned corner after corner, after all Mercury still had to be close by. Sly's mind was completely clouded, Mercury's words coming through over and over again. What did he mean by 'listening for two seconds' and 'the rest was unimportant'? Mercury wasn't that much of a talker to begin with, and Sly always listened to any of his words, so what did he miss? Sly felt his steps speed up even more, suddenly stopping completely, as he bumped into something.

His gaze lifted towards the something, and it turned out to actually be Mercury. "Mercur-", Sly was cut off, pushed against the wall, his gaze met a really abnormal, cold and unknown eye contact by Mercury. The feeling he had was unnatural. Sly stared directly into his friend's eyes, but it felt like looking into a stranger's. Out of the corner of his eye Sly saw his hand twitch, Mercury's arm pulling back to prepare a punch in his gut. He would never go through with it, right?

"Mercury!", Sly's fear reflecting in his eyes, his hands grasped for Mercury's arm... and with that he stopped. Sly saw Mercury's pupils refocus, looking at himself grasp tightly onto Sly's collar. Mercury's eyes went further, seeing his hand high in the air. He let Sly go in an instant, his arms retracting slowly, as Mercury looked at Sly, bewildered from his own reaction. Mercury stepped away from him, facing away, as he stood there in silence.

Sly got a glimpse of Mercury's face, what was he thinking about? Before Sly could open his mouth to ask anything further, a sudden and harsh breeze caused Sly to blink several times, trying to get the dust out of his eyes. He turned to look after Mercury, but he was gone. Sighing heavily, he slowly steadied himself. _You won't get rid of me that easily._

Sly looked all over the area, but Mercury was nowhere to be found. After about thirty minutes he finally thought he had a clue, walking along the pathway to the training field. He saw a familiar big wolf tread the soft grounds, picking up someone lying on the tracks. Sly remained around the corner, still unseen to the wolf. Raz put Mercury down next to the tracks, leaning his body against the wall.

Sly had to smile slightly. Sly felt his own heart stop, as a hand suddenly appeared on his shoulder. Amy put a finger on her lips, gesturing to remain quiet, as she peeked around the corner to spy on them. Raz made sure to place him softly. Mercury's arms slowly came off of Raz's shoulder, as a hand cupped at his face, Raz looked at Mercury squirm in his dream. He grabbed for Mercury's hand and put them down softly. Sly could swear he saw a smile, but if he were to bring it up, Sly was sure he would be killed. Amy grabbed Sly's hand, guiding him away from the pair. They didn't have to worry, Mercury was taken care of.

 **-[Present]-**

"Sly!", Mercury awoke gasping heavily. He immediately saw the worried face of Amy, who was holding his hand. Mercury slowly straightened into a seated position, his palm turning his and Amy's hand, holding onto it tightly. "Amy... tell me what's wrong with me... please...", she could tell the pain coming from within, it sounded like it came from his very soul. His other hand held his eyes shut, tears forming within and coming through.

Mercury let go of her hand, trying to hold in his agonized whimpers, as his hand covered his mouth. "I remember what happened. After I left the room Sly came after me... I didn't know what I was doing and when I came to... I realized I was going to hurt Sly. So please...", Mercury grasped Amy's shoulders, tears flowing down his face, his teeth gritted together. "I don't want to hurt someone I love...", he could only bring out as much before he fell, pulling Amy with him. As she sat there with him, crouching down, she couldn't help it when a few tears formed in her eyes as well.

"Alright, I'll try to explain... but you need to remember this is only based of the only other case we know of...", with tears in his eyes Mercury lifted his head, seeing the impact he had on Amy, yet thankful for getting an answer.

Sly walked through the halls, making plans in his head of how he could approach Mercury. His feet took him along the path, as he saw a familiar face entering a building at the end. Sly followed, coming to a halt at a sign 'Cafeteria.' Once inside Sly looked around, making his way through tables and benches seated all around. With a smile he sat down, leaning on the table. "Yo, Raz was it, right?"

The wolf opposite of him put the fork in his mouth, his eyes slowly meeting Sly's gaze. "I was hoping you could help me out a little bit more. I lost track of another recruit and conveniently enough, I heard he was part of your squad. Do you know where he is?", Sly's smile widened, Raz chewing the rest of his meal before putting the fork down.

"Why do you need to know? Trying to make friends, recruit?", Raz rested his head on the palm of his hand, carefully eyeing Sly. "Well, I guess you could say so, when I found out he was here I just wanted to ask how he is. We go way back, you know?", Sly's finger was tapping on the table, looking over Raz's plate.

With a heavy sigh, Raz put his hands down, creating a stern gaze with Sly. "Enough. I know exactly who you are and what you intend to do here, Sly. I also happen to know of your occupation. The only reason I haven't reported any of this is because we might need your assistance in the future.", Raz saw Sly slightly shifting on the bench, clearly he caught him by surprise. "You should know that I won't let you do as you please. During your time here, there will be no stolen objects, understood?", Sly felt the pressure, Raz's eyes closing slightly, throwing a fearsome look towards him.

"I believe you'll find Amy and Mercury at the shooting range. That's what you came here for, right?", Sly calmed down a little bit, Raz breaking the eye contact to return to his meal. After a moment Sly started smiling, he may have been intimidating at the start, but in the end he got what he came for. Sly nodded, thanking him, before he got up and walked past Raz.

"Remember what I told you. No stealing... for now I'll forget about the cookie.", Sly stopped, his heart skipping a beat. Raz looked back at Sly, as he turned towards him. Sly threw the small package from one hand to the other, catching it with a sure grip. The shock of being found out didn't last long, as he resumed smiling. _I guess this guy will be a challenge._ "I'll have an eye on you, Sly Cooper.", Raz returned to his meal, turning away from Sly. "Same goes for you... Raz.", Sly stuffed away the stolen cookie, making his way through the exit, towards the shooting range.

Amy threw her hands back, surprised by Mercury who suddenly jumped on his feet. "I won't accept it.", Amy coughed slightly through the dust he caused. "What do you mean you won't accept it?! Now that I told you I was hoping you'd understand exactly why we need him... Why is it so hard for you to...", Amy slowly got up by herself, seeing him shaking as he turned towards her.

"I never wanted them to get involved. I don't want them to get hurt...", Mercury leant on one of the tables, looking at the dummy several meters in front. "Just once I thought I could do something myself, and now Sly...!", Mercury grabbed for the gun, shooting the dummy without hesitation. Slightly startled and surprised, Amy walked over, seeing the bullet pierced right through the marker on its head.

Her eyes rested on Mercury, his shaking was gone, replaced by something else. Mercury placed his hands on the table, his gaze falling towards the ground. Amy watched him carefully, holding her chin in thought. _No... it couldn't be._ "You know, speaking of Sly. I think he's going to be around soon. I promised to show him how to operate a sniper rifle some more. I was hoping you would stay and practice with us.", she saw him twitch slightly, his head lifting to look at the dummy. _Not enough... not yet..._

"I showed him this morning and it was remarkable. He hit five out of five shots. He has a lot of talents, doesn't he?", Amy could tell that her words were getting to him, as he turned his head slightly, his eyes looking straight at her. "Will you show me?", Amy looked at him, seeing a certain gleam she has not seen from him before. She smiled to herself, her lips widening. "Sure."

Amy came back with a sniper rifle, its belt around her shoulder. She placed it down in front of him, patting his hands away. "Not so fast. You need to be careful with this thing. It bears quite a punch and the recoil is going to be enormous. Place the stock against your shoulder, pull back that lever and aim down the scope. Take your time and don't forget to breathe.", Mercury blinked a few times, repeating her advice in his head, as he slowly grabbed for the gun.

As soon as he held the gun, Mercury felt its weight, hesitating for a moment. He brought the gun in closer, placing the stock against his shoulder, like Amy explained. _Breathe in._ Mercury adjusted his grip on the gun, looking down the scope. _Breathe out._ "That's right, you're doing good. Each time after you pulled the trigger you'll have to pull that lever, otherwise it won't fire.", Amy smiled, punching the button to send the dummy out, reaching about 30 meters of distance.

He felt his fingers slip, trying to get a good grip. Mercury held it tight, looking at the dummy through the scope, gritting his teeth. The loud bang echoed around. _Not good enough._ He pulled back the lever. Another bang echoed through the shooting range. _Damnit._ Another pull, another bang. _Damnit!_ Mercury readjusted his aim, the cross hair right on target. And another. _Come on._ Mercury pulled back for the last time, screaming out with the last shot. _Argh!_

Stressed out, he looked through the scope, counting his hits. Amy walked closer, hitting the button again to reel in the dummy. Mercury slammed down the rifle, his breathing rather heavy. Amy inspected him closely, seeing him turn away. "Three hits out of five. For your first time holding that gun that's great!", Mercury's gaze lifted for just a second, before he was drawn back to his thoughts. Amy inspected the dummy closer. _Five shots. Two missed, one hit the shoulder, one the neck and one the left temple. That's quite impressive, so what is troubling you, Mercury?_

"Hey, Amy, I'll go and rest for a bit, I don't feel so good...", Mercury walked off, his head low, his eyes searching the ground. Mercury was about to disappear, as Sly turned around the corner, walking towards them. Both caught his entrance, Mercury puffing out some air, as he walked past. Sly remained still, allowing Mercury to pass without saying a single word.

Amy closed her eyes, sighing, before she turned towards the dummy again. She grabbed the gun, pulling back the lever, as a cartridge flew out. "Bad timing?", Sly scratched his neck, walking over to Amy. "Actually it was perfect, it helped me realize it even better.", Amy started giggling to herself, pressing the rifle into Sly's hands. After instructing Sly the same way she did for Mercury, he went for a shot. "This thing is not easy to handle...", Amy smiled brightly at his words, patting Sly's shoulder. "It sure is, just keep trying.", Amy turned after Mercury, who was off walking the pathways, sulking. _It's rivalry, Mercury, isn't it?_

After finishing her practice, Amy intended to get back to their quarters, hoping to find Mercury. On her way she was suddenly pulled into an open doorway. She looked up at Raz, whose eyes quickly went straight ahead, listening to the general informing the room of soldiers. Amy saw the projector displaying several pictures, one showing a man in a lab coat.

"As many of you already know, he can be dangerous. On multiple occasions he wounded several of our forces and left them in the dust. But now, thanks to our latest success, we have a classified source and can finally surprise this mad man. Do not underestimate him, he might be mad, but he still is a man of science. Now gather up and get ready. Go and catch Dr. Devistee.", Amy saw the general slowly walk down the stairs, finally remembering what she was looking for. She pulled on Raz's sleeve, as his gaze fell down to her.

"Raz, have you seen Mercury or Sl-... I mean 'Sam'?", Raz raised an eyebrow, walking through the door with her. "No, weren't you with them? 'Sam' came asking for me in the cafeteria and I send him your way.", she once again started looking all around, holding her hands close to her chest. "Mercury left, sulking through the halls and after we finished practicing, 'Sam' went out to look for him.", Raz lingered for a moment.

"I think Mercury is struggling with the side effects. During practice he told me, that he clashed with 'Sam' this morning. Mercury tried to attack and was barely able to stop himself... afterwards he ran off towards the training fields. Did you see any of that?", Raz shook his head, he did not notice anything. "I explained to him everything we know so far about the Lepidoptera and why we need 'Sam', but he doesn't seem fond of the idea of 'Sam' staying here.", Raz looked at her for a moment, gesturing her to continue.

"You know the Lepidoptera can have subconscious influence on the host. Until now there were minimal problems, but we should be careful handling this, Raz... one of them could get hurt.", Raz scratched his head, leaving the room with Amy. "Don't worry, if it's nothing else...", Amy stopped Raz, pulling him down the pathway. She looked around her place, placing the lever she retrieved from before in front of Raz. "This is something else. It bothered me the moment I saw it.", Raz looked at the handle noticing the dent.

"This also happened this morning. Just after Mercury clashed with Sly, he recalled running to the training field and ended up exhausted on the floor. The interesting part is he said he hit something on the way.", Raz felt over the dent, surprised at the shape. "It almost like...", Raz felt over the smooth edge. "...he ran into it?", Amy looked at Raz, knowing that is sounds impossible. "If that's the case he hit it with quite a lot of power. I'm surprised he has this kind of strength.", Raz saw Amy walking in a circle, mumbling to herself, "...or speed.", as she looked at her monitor again. "Let's worry about this later, the general ordered us to move.", Raz caught Amy by surprise, pulling her out of her thoughts and back to their quarters.

Sly was persistent. After he had finished with Amy he hoped to find Mercury. He still had questions and wanted the answers. The plan of what to do or say when he'd find him however was... still in the making. But he couldn't leave it at that. Sly needed a clear answer, why he so desperately wanted him to leave. And Sly figured he can't leave him alone... he needed someone... anyone. As he turned at another corner, his eyes widened, spotting Mercury standing at the opposite end of the building, his fingers placed on the rough material and leaning against the wall.

Sly stood still for a moment, thinking how to approach him safely. Sly accidentally made his presence known however, as he stepped slightly closer, seeing Mercury turn his head to the sound. Mercury eyed Sly for a moment, before he turned away again, his fingers grasping at the wall. Sly stopped himself from walking any further, his gaze falling down, thinking of anything to say. But, was there anything he could say, that would not make him angry?

Sly pondered over the question, coming to the conclusion, that sometimes silence is the best option. He leant against the wall, simply throwing looks over to Mercury every now and then. Even when he has nothing to say and can't talk to him, at the very least he wanted to be there for him. Sly heard him claw against the wall, that and... what one could mistake for growling. Sly watched Mercury closely, his eyes shot open, seeing blood trail down the wall and his fingers. Sly quickly went over, grabbing his hand, stopping him from damaging himself further.

Mercury eyed him lazily over his shoulder, as he saw Sly's frown and saw his hand, he finally realized what he was doing. Mercury held both hands, his own and Sly's closer to his chest. Sly could feel him starting to shiver all over, hesitating, but embraced him from behind, simply holding him close. Sly was surprised he let him so far, as he suddenly heard a door burst open above them. "Mercury! Oh-... excuse us.", Sly let go, turning to see Amy storm through the door, Raz slowly following her.

"We need to move and we don't have much time. You are coming, too. If you plan on staying, you better work for it.", Raz eyed Sly, pointing at him. Mercury was about to protest, walking forward to get a better look at Raz, but he simply walked off. Mercury's gaze went to Amy, who simply stood there in silence. Sly followed Mercury's gaze, seeing him return to face him. He frowned, before storming off, following Raz. Sly sighed, staring after him. _Great... just before the breakthrough..._

 **End of Chapter nine.**


	10. Backstory: Doctor Who?

**Sly Cooper and the Thievius Raccoonus  
(Yaoi Fan Fiction)**

 **Back-story: Chapter 4**

 **For disclaimer : I do not own Sly Cooper or any of their Characters.**

 **-[The events of the squad's second mission}-**

Sly looked out through the window, tapping at the glass, as some smaller insects walked across. His eyes unknowingly went towards the Humvee driving in front of them, carefully watching the other raccoon. "He told me about you, you know? 'He has eyes that can show you a crystal clear reflection', 'He has this smile, that when you are with him, you feel at ease.', and I would have to agree. In case you were wondering, that's why I needed to see you smile. I would say it was a weird, but special way to get to know each other.", Amy smiled over at him, hearing his genuine chuckle, feeling glad he doesn't feel weird about it.

For a moment there was silence, before Sly turned to Amy. "After he came with us he was already different, but not to this extent. Yet, I knew something inside of him has changed... right now I wonder what he is thinking about when he looks at me. It just feels like he is pushing me away.", Sly looked through the front window, his eyes set on Mercury. He sighed softly, turning to the window, opening it to let in some air. "But change can be good... and he is not done changing, Sly.", Amy crept a little closer, whispering to him so the guards in front cant hear them. Sly closed his eyes, feeling the slight breeze coming in through the window. He felt something soft touch his nose, bringing with a breeze of it's own.

Sly's eyes opened to witness a butterfly sit on his nose, flapping its wings softly in his direction. "Sly... I know it might seem like he doesn't want you close to him right now, but you should have seen the way he lit up while talking about you. He is still the same Mercury as before, adoring you in a way that... listen... all I want to say is, that he will need your help and you need to be there when he needs you.", Sly held a finger to the butterfly, seeing it slowly walk down on it and into his palm. "If you would allow me to say something... I...", Sly caught her gaze, seeing her sort the thoughts in her head.

"I've been watching him and his behavior since he returned. The way he acts... don't take it personal. He's still the same, but I think he finally found a reason for himself to advance.", Sly's eyes scanned the butterfly, its bright and colorful pattern glowing all through the Humvee. His gaze slowly went up, his eyes meeting Mercury's, as he looked back at them. After hitting a slight bump in the road, the butterfly took off, flying out of the open window. "And what is his reason?", he turned to face Amy, the mouse looking out of the window, clearly distracted. Sly's gaze went back to Mercury, seeing the butterfly land on his fingertip.

Their vehicle came to an abrupt stop just seconds after. "Come on, it started!", Amy patted his arm, Sly quickly turned to her, before glancing back at Mercury, only an empty spot remaining. Both got out of their vehicle and went towards the group. Sly stopped next to Amy, who was listening to Raz explaining something. Sly wasn't paying attention, trying to push his way through the soldiers, his eyes set on Mercury. He was so close, Sly could see him stand just a few meters away. Finally he pushed his way through, being able to breathe, as he stood in the middle of the mass.

Sly felt slightly uncomfortable, noticing the silence going through the crowd and Raz eyeing him specifically. "It could be dangerous, are you sure you want to do it?", Sly looked around, noticing Raz eyeing him up and down. "Uh...", before Sly could as much as ask what he meant, Raz walked closer and dropped a satchel into his hands. "Now the source couldn't give us as much detail about the hideout as we had hoped, but we do have a rough sketch. I have marked a few major locations for you on this GPS, place the charges there and wait for our signal.", Sly looked down at the satchel and GPS in his hand, his eyes scanning the crowd.

In the crowd he spotted Mercury, frowning at him through the palm of his hand. There was a bit of commotion, as Mercury pushed through to the middle, walking up to Sly. Mercury grasped for the satchel in his hand, putting it on. "I'll do it.", the satchel flew around his neck, landing in a perfect and comfortable position. Once again there was pure silence for a moment, as Raz looked at the duo, before his eyes locked on Amy, sighing softly.

"The locations shown should be the main gate, a back entrance, the main power supply and an entrance to an unknown set tunnels. The source was never allowed to enter them, so stay cautious, since we don't know what is inside. Yet, we can't risk him escaping through them", Mercury checked the GPS, holding the remote for the charges in the other. "How am I getting inside?", he quickly stowed away the devices in his pockets.

"That's the second part. The doctor is most likely interested in a new assistant, since his latest has left him because of the hazardous workspace. You will infiltrate his hideout as the interested apprentice. Simply put, walk through the front door.", Raz dropped a batch of paper into his hands. "And this is?", Mercury opened the paper, letting the pages flow with the wind.

"It's the doctor's work, try to understand the concept and make it fast. He might ask a few questions and you don't want to come unprepared.", Mercury held the paper under his arm, saluting to Raz, before starting to read. Raz commanded the rest of the soldiers to get back into their vehicles and get ready to move closer to the hideout. Raz looked down at Mercury, surprised to see him so focused. It was sort of like the first time he met him. _Against whom are you fighting right now, Mercury?_

Raz almost forgot warning him, pulling something out of his back pocket. "Mercury, before we go, take this. The doctor would instantly know he is being played, if he should see your eye.", Raz dropped an eye patch in Mercury's hand, before he walked back to their Humvee. Raz followed, jumping on the back of the vehicle after him, his eyes not leaving Mercury. Raz knocked on the roof, signaling the driver to move.

Amy opened the door to their Humvee, wondering where Sly went, as she looked at the other door. Her eyes just caught him running by, getting inside the Humvee in front of them. Mercury was slightly startled, both raccoons caught each other's gaze, Sly slightly huffing. "Why'd you do that?", they continued to look straight into each other's eyes, Mercury returning to the pages. "You're only causing trouble, that's why.", Mercury frowned, trying to concentrate on reading.

After a moment of silence, Sly could hear Mercury clear his throat. "I didn't want to either... it just happened.", Sly was slightly surprised, was he trying to protect him? Sly could see his eyes glancing towards him for a second, before returning to the papers. Mercury was moving through the pages, Sly watched them pass through the thick forest, the trees passing by his window.

Amy was right, right now in the presence of Mercury he felt like it was a usual heist. Even though this time Mercury seemed to want to partake in it. _Reason to advance? What did she mean?_ Sly thought about the next step. When he embraced him, Sly knew he needed and wanted him here... but why was he so distant at the same time? Sly was slightly biting his thumb, thinking and unknowingly staring at Mercury. Once he regained himself, he saw Mercury's gaze trail away from him and back towards the pages, a blush on his cheeks. Sly couldn't help the slight smile appearing on his lips.

Once more the vehicle came to an abrupt stop, Sly slightly flinging forward with the momentum, his face caught on the window separating them from the driver's cabin. At first there was a gasp, but it quickly turned into a chuckle, seeing Sly was not hurt. He heard the laughing coming from seat next to him, rubbing over his cheek he saw Mercury covering his mouth. "Seat belts, Sly, you should try them sometime.", Mercury undid his seat belt, leaving the Humvee, heading towards Raz.

Amy turned up at the door Mercury left open, a questioning look in her eyes. "How'd it go? What happened?", Sly climbed out of the vehicle. "Well... you're right, he is still the same, but in a different way... Mercury.", Amy looked at him expectantly, but saw him break off, staring after Mercury. She followed his gaze, starting to smile a little herself. She pulled him with, walking towards the crowd.

Raz was standing besides Mercury, in his hand was the sketch of the hideout. As Amy and Sly closed in on them, Sly took a thorough look at the 'secret' hideout. It was fairly hidden inside a mountain side. Soldiers rushed past them, hiding between the thick trees and scouting out the area around the entrance. "Thirty minutes is the max I can promise you. After that I'll be forced to send back-up.", Mercury nodded at Raz, hiding a small microphone behind his ear. Mercury looked at the mountain, taking a few big breaths, as he put on the eye patch.

"If you're getting scared you only have to ask me for help. I mean, I was originally chosen, right?", Mercury turned to face Sly, Amy walking right beside him. "I think you've already helped me enough, chosen one.", Mercury flipped up his eye patch, slightly frowning at Sly. "I'm just giving you the option to make it easier for you.", Raz and Amy stood next to the duo, knowing exactly how this will pan out. Raz crossed his arms, clearing his throat loudly, stopping Mercury while he was pointing at Sly.

"Thirty minutes and the clock is already ticking.", after a few seconds of a stern gaze to both, Sly and Mercury, he set out. Sly thought for a moment, before his feet made the decision to follow him. Raz immediately stopped him, pulling him closer. "Don't complicate things, let's wait and give him the time he needs.", Sly stared at him for a moment, seeing Mercury enter the entrance area. "Complicate things?", Sly felt Amy creep in closer behind him, her soft breath going past his ears.

"Yes, complicate things. It's rivalry, Sly.", Sly's brows formed a frown, leaving him confused. _Rivalry?_ "What are you talking about?", Amy stepped closer, now right behind Sly. "The reason he found for himself to advance is you, Sly. He wants to best you or at the very least be your equal.", this was definitely a surprise, Sly didn't think he was a rival for Mercury. "But why me?", Sly saw Amy walk next to him, shrugging with her shoulders. "Don't we often chose rivals in people we respect? ...in his case maybe even more than respect.", Sly saw her wink at the last part, Sly not truly catching her drift.

"He's going in.", Raz watched Mercury through a set of binoculars, Sly quickly turning to Raz, snatching the binoculars. Raz frowned for a moment, glancing over at Amy who was giggling to herself. "So he's only going in there to prove himself? Prove he can be better than me? That idiot.", Mercury was brought in through the door, Sly only catching a glimpse of him looking backwards one last time.

Sly gritted his teeth, his grip on the binoculars tightening. He started storming off, trying to balance himself on the way down. "Wait! Where do you think you're going?", Sly stopped momentarily, slowly turning back to Amy and Raz. "He needs my help. Isn't this why you wanted me to stick around?", Sly could feel the overwhelming urge to keep running. "I can't let you intercept with our plan, I'll have to stop you, if you try anything else.", Sly was caught once again by Raz's stern gaze. Sly felt the twitch moving through his body, his hand forming a firm fist.

"He is my friend and as friends we never leave each other's side. We do everything together, we have each other's back, that's how our 'bunch of thieves' succeed. I feel like Mercury has yet to realize this. I want to make sure he knows I've got his back. I don't know how you guys do things here, but I'll do it my way... and if you want to stop me, go right ahead, but just so you know... I'm not an easy target.", Sly pulled out his cane, swinging it in front of him.

Raz glanced over at Amy for a moment, letting out a sigh. "How would you even intend to get inside. The front door is not an option. If the guards saw you, Mercury would get into trouble.", that was true... Sly turned towards the mountain, his eyes catching some vents. "I think I've found my entry way.", Sly turned back to Raz, a grin on his lips.

Raz locked eyes with Sly. He could tell this would get him nowhere, Sly was too stubborn and a fight would cause too much attention. He turned to Amy, coughing slightly. "I forgot to let the forces know we'll need more man power, once we've breached the inside. Amy, I'll leave you in charge of this situation. In case you didn't know, if this operation were to be a failure, we'll all be in big trouble. I'll leave you two here, knowing you are sure about the consequences of failure.", Raz walked off, waving his hand a few times.

Sly watched him for a moment, wondering what that was about. A soft whistle caught his attention. "Go, he can't directly allow you to move on your own... but make sure nobody sees you. If we lose Devistee, not only will we be in trouble, but the entire world.", Sly nodded, feeling a sudden weight on his shoulders. Yet, he never imagined Raz to actually allow him to go. Quite the interesting squad he stumbled across.

 **-[In the Lab]-**

"So you've come to be my new apprentice? It interests me deeply how you found out my old one left, would you mind explaining it to me?", the doctor walked in front of him, the goons who let him inside following them closely. "We all have our secrets and sources, don't we doctor?", Mercury tried to play it off, slightly smiling towards him. Doctor Devistee turned to him, adjusting his eye protectors carefully. Mercury could feel the fearsome gaze of the baboons behind him, their armored features truly intimidating.

He smiled back almost viciously, presenting his teeth. "Of course we do.", the doctor turned back, continuing on their walk through the hideout. Mercury inspected the doctor's form, his presence alone inspiring a spine chill. It seemed to be your ordinary fox, the slight orange sometimes red color, ears ending in a soft black, the tail ending in another shade of black and brown. He was wearing a doctor's coat, the back spelling 'A.D.'. He wore some protecting goggles over his green eyes, which seemed to be surrounded by a mix of black fur and a simple shade caused by pure exhaustion. Mercury wondered just how long this man must have stayed awake.

"So you are interested in my work on the Lapatridora?", Mercury blinked a few times, _what now?_ "Sir? You mean the Lepidoptera?", doctor Devistee turned to him, at first a hint of confusion covering his face, quickly turning into a smile. "Right, Lepidoptera. I'm sorry, but in my business you can never be certain enough about spies from other parties. I want to make sure we can trust one another.", before he completely turned again, Mercury saw doctor Devistee's gaze change, the confusion apparent again. Mercury wondered if he was only playing or if the exhaustion got the better of him.

The inside was mostly huge cement tunnels, most doors seeming completely shut close. "Sir, why are most of these rooms closed off?", to Mercury's surprise the doctor rushed towards him, his finger pointing straight between his eyes, his mouth agape. Silence took over, the two simply staying like that. "That is a very good question! I don't know... hah! At least I don't know that I know. I never bothered to open them.", the doctors eyes went from Mercury to the doors, back to Mercury and all around the tunnel. "...let's go.", with his mouth still agape and a broad smile across his features he turned, a spine chilling laugh emitting from the doctor. Mercury could only gulp harshly, feeling one of the goons pushing him slightly.

Sly squeezed himself through the rough inside of the vent, collecting an astonishing amount of dust on his way. Once he reached the end he softly pushed away the cover, coughing and causing a cloud of dust to fly out. He jumped down, checking his surroundings, before he rushed down further into the cold cement tunnels. If he wanted to be of help to Mercury he needed a disguise, one of the guards possibly.

While he was running he made tried to stop his momentum, hopping on one foot again and again as he slowed down. Going a few steps back, he looked though the crack of the open door. One of the goons was leant over a stool, a TV running in the distance, the guard obviously napped away. A devilish smile formed on Sly's lips, _like stealing a lollipop from a baby._

Finally they were out of the claustrophobic tunnel, a wider and more open space ahead. The doctor's lab was around here, Mercury realized they were getting closer to the power supply. He hoped the bomb at the main entrance he let slip was covered enough to not be noticed and the guards wouldn't find it. "We're almost there. So... how familiar are you with my research?", Mercury cleared his throat slightly, making it seem like he scratched his ear to put on the microphone.

"So far you were able to collect a lot of data, I have read most of it. It would certainly be a wonderful catch to inspect and dissect a living species of this strain of the Lepidoptera. The way they interact with the host, form a symbiosis. In exchange for several minerals and supplements the butterfly links to the host, forming and forging with the hosts DNA. Uncertain effects and mutations can happen, but the only ever collected cases have been-", the doctor turned to Mercury with a vicious grin.

"Hunted, murdered, executed... every single one.", the longer he was with him the more Mercury could feel his madness. They weren't kidding when they said he was dangerous. The doctor's gaze went through the tunnel, never staying at one place for too long. Mercury saw him sway from side to side, stepping around slightly, a tear trailing down his face. "Sir?", the doctor snapped, straightening himself, stepping closer swiftly.

"Yes, all of them murdered. They said they were infected with an unknown disease, it would create a mass panic on our planet, if anyone ever found out. Oh... ha, ha, ha... no, all lies! They wanted it for weaponry, for power, domination. They wanted absolute control.", the doctor formed a globe with his hands, his fingers freaking out slightly.

"Who said that, Sir?", Mercury felt weird asking a mad man for reason and hoping for answers. He slowly turned, facing Mercury. "Hm? Oh, I don't know... hahaha.", Mercury's face dropped, this guy certainly was nuts. A situation like this would call for a face palm, but given the circumstances, the guards would probably not approve. The doctor laughed manically, the sound echoing in the tunnels. He calmed down slowly, turning back towards his lab, "This way..."

Once inside the lab Mercury laid eyes on a very worrying device. It covered almost half of the room. Going through his memory he remembered the device. It was used to disconnect the link between a host and the lepidoptera. "A disconnector...", Mercury was amazed and at the same time frightened. "It's a beauty, aint it?", the doctor pushed up his glasses, a smile growing on his lips, hugging the machine.

Mercury felt a sudden pressure build and drop upon him, feeling the baboons behind him come slightly closer. As far as he remembered, as soon as the link is cut, the host dies. Mercury had to gulp hard, eyeing the menacing machine. "I see that troubled look, don't worry. It's completely harmless to us. Only if you were a symbiont you'd have to be scared, hah.", right, all he had to do was play it off. "I can't wait to work with it, you must be hiding some symbionts, right doctor? I would love to see it in action.", the doctor turned to him, a big devilish smile on his lips.

"It definitely sounds like you are full of anticipation. Be careful or people might call you crazy, hah... alright, I'll take you in as my apprentice. But let me give you a fair warning.", Mercury felt the doctor move closer, as he came back up he stood in front of him, face to face. "Too much curiosity kills the... raccoon, hah. I'll keep showing you around later...", Mercury was still shivering, seeing the doctor with his now familiar maniacal grin.

Two loud knocks on the door caught their attention, two guards stepping inside the doctor's lab. "Ah, perfect. Gentleman, would you kindly send in the next set of patients. I need to show my new apprentice how things work around here.", Mercury turned to face the door, seeing the guards walk in. With squinted eyes he looked at the people entering the room, his brain unable to make out the details, though his blood was already boiling.

A fairly familiar set of stripes, the usual cap and the everlasting smile. _...Sly..._ Mercury felt his teeth gritting, his hands tightening into fists. He shut his eyes, trying to calm himself. This was too important, if the doctor saw anything else he would probably get suspicious. "Is something the matter?", Mercury guessed he did notice, as he slightly turned. "I'm sorry doctor, I'm just so thrilled to work at your side. Would you mind, if I were to visit the bathroom real quick?", the doctor nodded, sending him off.

"Just down the tunnel, a guard will be nearby.", Mercury thanked him, running into Sly on his way out, stumbling slightly. They exchanged a moment of eye contact, Mercury's eye patch accidentally flipping upwards to reveal his eye to him in full color. Sly could almost feel it's brightness burning him. Quickly fixing it, he went outside of the lab. Sly turned back towards the room, seeing the other guards straighten themselves in front of the doctor. A real nut job, he stood there shivering, starting to laugh manically as he looked through the row of guards.

"Amy, Raz, what is he doing here? I thought I had thirty minutes, as far as I know I still have time left...", Mercury stumbled his way through the tunnels, passing the back entrance and setting the charges. "Mercury? Amy here, Sly acted on his own accord, he-... Mercury, are you done setting the charges? You need to concentrate. There are more important things at stake right now.", Raz took over the call, pushing Amy away. Mercury felt his heartbeat through his entire body. Raz was right, but calming down was hard right now.

"They're all set except for the ones at the escape tunnels.", Amy scooted in closer, listening in on Raz and Mercury. "That's good, just keep going and calm down. Keep talking to us, what did you find out?", Mercury scratched his arm, suddenly feeling itchy all over. "Doctor Devistee is worse than I ever imagined. From what I've read of his work he actually made quite some efficient discoveries. Seeing the man for myself, I can't imagine him doing this without someone behind the scenes. He is working for someone.", ascending stairs to the second floor, Mercury closed in on the presumed escape tunnels.

"The odd thing is, that he must have worked with different cases of people who actually were in a symbiosis with the lepidoptera. I thought you and me were the only ones left.", Raz sat down on a stump, scratching his chin in thought, before returning his attention to the receiver. "Anything else?", Mercury guessed he reached the tunnels, slightly peeking around the corner, further down the tunnel. "The doctor is obsessed with the thought of someone using the lepidoptera as a weapon. Even if he is mad, there must be some back-story to it, right? I was wondering who he meant.", something on the ground caught Mercury's eyes, as he shifted around the corner slowly.

"He is classified as mad for a reason. Once we have taken him in for investigation, we might find out more.", Mercury slowly walked to the object, crouching down towards it. A small butterfly was sitting on top of it. It had scruffy red hair, a green top and blue trousers. _A toy? What's this doing here?_ The sound of a rock skittering across the ground caught Mercury's attention, seeing a younger boy down the tunnel. From afar he looked like a small bear.

The butterfly on the toy took off, a slight breeze blew through the tunnel, as it flew straight towards the small bear. "Mercury are you still there?", the boy took a few steps back, the echo clearly frightened the boy. "Hey, don't worry. I won't hurt you. How did you get here?", Mercury picked up the toy, taking very small steps, holding his hands up to show he meant to do no harm.

The boy just raised his finger, pointing behind Mercury. A dark figure appeared behind the boy, grabbing his hand to guide him away and further down the tunnel. Mercury wanted to follow them, but a very familiar laughter echoed through the tunnel. Mercury turned slowly, seeing the doctor walk in with two baboons.

"Were my directions that confusing? These clearly aren't the toilets, don't you think? These tunnels are off limit for anyone who doesn't wish for a quick death. Now tell me, who send you?", the doctor moved closer, each step echoing down the path. "The national guard? Maybe a few guys from the FBI?", he stopped right in front of Mercury, smiling down at the raccoon. Doctor Devistee raised his hand, slowly removing the eye patch of Mercury.

"Perhaps you're one of Ephilus Titan's men? ...yes, it was only a matter of time.", the doctor's hand went down from the eye patch to Mercury's cheek. Softly stroking across it, he feel his tension, his fear growing by the second. The smile never left the doctor's face, turning to his goons he signaled them to move in and take him with. Mercury saw them come closer, growing seemingly larger with each step, until he had to look straight up. His gaze traveled back to the doctor, who kept walking steadily forward, turning at the last second, "Curiosity killed the raccoon."

 **End of Chapter ten.**


	11. Backstory: Like A Clockwork

**Sly Cooper and the Thievius Raccoonus  
(Yaoi Fan Fiction)**

 **Back-story: Chapter 5**

 **For disclaimer : I do not own Sly Cooper or any of their Characters.**

The baboons pushed Mercury inside a small prison cell of sorts, with rusted bars covering the window. The doctor stood in front of him, his eyes squinted, as he inspected him. "I definitely do not recognize you... or do I? Yet, there is no denying you are one of Ephilus men, he always sends you freaks my way.", the doctor tapped below his eye, clearly having dealt with other symbionts. _That must be why Raz couldn't go._

"Us 'freaks'?", it's not like he hadn't heard it before, but Mercury had grown tired of hearing it. That aside, Mercury guessed he was talking about Raz, but who was to say they were the only ones he was talking about? Maybe he was right with his hypothesis, that he had dealt with more than one case? "Hush, hush. Now let's not get upset over such a mere word. I just truly HATE you symbionts.", Mercury flinched at the brutal echo of his voice. It made him wonder just where that hate was coming from.

"Are you still there?", _perfect timing..._ The doctor turned to Mercury at the appearance of Raz's voice. "Your friends waiting outside? A little surprise party waiting for me? It's probably that failure of a captain again, because it sure sounded like him, hah.", stepping in real close, the doctor snatched the microphone from behind his ear before Mercury could grasp for it. He held it close, turning it to max volume. "I am really bad at names, so give me a minute... Saz, no... Dez?... no, no, that's also wrong... maybe blaz? ...you know as in blargh...", the doctor slightly cackled, wiping a tear from his eye.

"Devistee... what did you do to my man?", Raz could feel the twigs underneath his foot breaking, his hand grasping the receiver tightly. "So he is with you! Hah, doing the same mistake all over again, are we? You should know better by now. Oh and Jazz? Don't try anything funny, I'm sure you know of the consequences...", Dr. Devistee locked eyes with Mercury, he could tell by his vicious grin that there was nothing good waiting for him.

"Mercury don't worry, we'll-", with a sudden flick of his hand the doctor had the device on the ground, crushing it beneath his foot. Amy's voice was silenced and Mercury wondered if it was the last time he heard her voice... hell, any voice for what it's worth... even if it's Sly's. Mercury's eyes trailed over the doctor. His head slightly tilted, a bewildered gaze upon his face. It took him a moment to seemingly regain consciousness. He turned away and with quick steps he was almost out through the door.

"Devistee-", he turned sharply, raising a finger at Mercury. "That's Dr. Devistee.", the doctor relaxed, letting his arm fall. Still a quizzical look on his face. It felt like he changed, even his demeanor. He was more focused, as if he was trying to remember something. "What are you doing to that kid? I saw him in the tunnel.", the doctor straightened himself, taking off his glasses to look through them.

"So you saw them? That's only adding more reasons to hurry up, I guess. That and your neat little toys you planted. You're quite in over your head, if you think this will stop me. But... don't worry your head about that now... Mercury, hah.", he cleaned his glasses with the fabric of his coat, leaving the room with his spine chilling laughter.

The door closed with a loud bang, the bars vibrating at the impact. Mercury moved in closer, grabbing at them to look through the small opening. "Just be ready when I call for you. I want to get this over quickly...", Mercury could see the doctor shaking slightly, possibly with anticipation. He wasn't sure, but he could swear he left, mumbling his Mercury's name over and over again like a mantra.

Mercury let go of the bars, his back sliding down against the door ever so slowly. It's over. He lost in every possible way. He got caught and is now a hostage. They found the bombs, too, which is really, really bad news. Sly was roaming around and without a clue of what's going on. Mercury felt devastated... it was all his fault. And for what? Just to prove something to himself? To prove something to Sly? All he is now is a failure, a liability.

Mercury's vision was suddenly all blurry, as he only now realized there were tears forming in his eyes. Using one hand to wipe them away, he thought of Sly, the way kept him away from himself. The way he treated him. _God..._ he was still there for him, even after doing all that. He held him close, even after he attacked him. The cloudy mess in his mind slowly settled down, a vague picture of them as a kid coming to his mind.

Mercury suddenly shrieked, a loud thud hitting the door. He slightly turned his head, looking towards the bars. Two striped arms slowly moved through the gaps, the person slouching down against the door. Mercury could barely make it out, but there was no need to ask who it is. "Yo, why are you sobbing in there?", he could barely see or tell, but he knew Sly had a big grin on his face as usual.

"I'm not sobbing. Are you here to mock me, because I couldn't do my job? Maybe tell me how you could have done it better?", Mercury's head fell into his knees, hearing the other raccoon slightly shift in his position. "Sounds like a waste of time to me. I know you're already over thinking everything yourself...", Mercury's ears twitched slightly, what was he talking about?

"You always do that, blaming yourself for everything, yada yada. No, I'm here to ask you something.", Mercury looked up, seeing Sly's hands entwine. "Why do you think our gang is so successful?", _what kind of question is that?_ Mercury frowned slightly. "It's because of you, you execute your job perfectly every time.", Mercury felt like he was indeed mocking him, hearing Sly chuckle through the bars.

"Is that so? Like that time I made that whole plan about stealing the Diva Diamond?", Mercury frowned once more, keeping quiet for a moment. "But I thought Bentley-...", it took him another second, as he slowly lifted towards the bars. He already saw Sly's grin growing wider. "It's still you executing the plan, right? You're are quite literally born perfectly... for this job I mean.", a slight blush rushed to Mercury's cheeks, feeling Sly's eyes roam his body.

"That's not true, without Bentley it wouldn't be the same. He is the brain of our operation. Without Murray we would never get away from the scene, that guy is a genius at driving. We are a team that works together perfectly, we need each other to work, just like a clockwork. If a gear is missing, the clock aint turning... if a friend is missing, the team falls apart.", Mercury slumped back down, rubbing his hands together.

"It's true, you are a great team. You three work perfectly together...", Mercury's voice slightly cracked, turning more silent by the second. "There's also this fourth gear. I got the feeling it seems to think it's not turning or helping at all. Yet, it doesn't seem realize how much the other three depend on and trust it.", Sly couldn't help a smile grow on his lips, watching Mercury's ears peek up.

"Have I told you before? Murray couldn't stop talking about the 'tastiest' sandwich he ever had, after he had to endure that indigestion. He said he felt all better just by looking at it. And how he appreciated the help on his van, when no one else was able to be there for him.", Sly could see Mercury move slightly, straightening himself to stand up. "The other time Bentley told me how nice it was, for someone to listen to his technical talk and not shutting off in the first few seconds. Believe me, it's also a relief to the others.", Sly could tell he was getting somewhere, hearing Mercury chuckle softly under his breath.

Mercury brushed off the dust, looking through the bars into Sly's eyes. "That's outside of the jobs, Sly. How can you say I'm of any help, after I nearly got myself killed last time and put the operation on hold.", Mercury saw Sly look away, scratching his temple. "Well... and the last one...it's trickier than the other's that is true...", Sly could see mild anticipation build in Mercury, a soft smile on his lips.

"Because of the fourth gear I'm still alive. You saved my life, remember? Twice, to be exact. Because of the fourth gear the Diva Diamond heist was a success.", Mercury raised an eyebrow at Sly, how was that any of his doing? "But I didn't do anything.", Sly smiled at Mercury through the bars. "They nearly had me in the alley. I was all out of air, when suddenly I see this scared and shy guy walking down towards me. I had to smile to myself, thinking, how amazing it was that he came for my sake. That's what kept me running, that's how we escaped. Seeing you was enough.", Mercury could feel his lips twitch, gulping down his heart which felt like it wanted to rise through the roof. If the blush on his face could get any worse, he would burn away with the red.

"I just felt the need to tell you that. That's how things work in our gang and that's how they'll always work. So, are you with me, Mercury?", Sly extended an arm towards him, the bars making it quite difficult, expecting a firm handshake. Mercury just looked at it momentarily, locking eyes with Sly again. "Of course, but how are we going to get out of here? And the doctor took all of my equipment.", Sly smiled and rolled his eyes, his arm grasping for a few things in his pockets.

"Keys to your cell, satchel full of bombs, the GPS, your eye patch... though you won't need it I reckon and even some chewing gum, you name it. You want some?", Sly put a piece of gum in his mouth, making a small bubble to let it pop. "You really are born for this, aren't you?", Mercury stepped closer, shaking his hand. "It's what I do for a living, so I better be good at it, right?", Sly chuckled, putting the keys in the lock.

Mercury had a thought lingering on his mind, stepping closer to stop Sly from opening the cell. "I think we should let things play out like this for a little bit longer. Let the doctor think he's the one dealing the cards, after all there is still some unfinished business waiting. Did you get rid of the guard?", Sly put the keys away, turning to look at the knocked out baboon. "You sure you want to do this?", Sly could see him nod with a smile on his face. He grasped for the guard, pulling him away, into a nearby cell.

It wasn't long after, when the two of them heard laughter coming down the hallway. Sly saw Mercury spy down the hallway, getting closer to the bars."What's your plan?", exchanging a glimpse, Sly straightened himself in front of the door. "If possible I'll try to get the doctor when he is by himself. I might need your help, so be ready, alright?", Sly chuckled, staring back at him for a second. "So now you actually want my help?", Mercury couldn't help a soft laugh coming across his lips, punching Sly's shoulder through the bars.

"Get him out of the cell, it's time we get on with his operation.", after opening the cell, Sly put Mercury in cuffs, leaving them slightly ajar. Sly nodded at Mercury, making him follow him closely. It was kind of creepy, the doctor constantly stared back at him, a wide grin on his lips. In front of his labs stood a bunch of baboons, clearly he asked for tight security. The doctor must have seen the look on Mercury's face, chuckling slightly.

"I won't suffer from the same mistake again. Last time I underestimated that Gaz fellow, not this time.", Dr. Devistee entered his lab, pulling Mercury with him. Sly was stopped by two guards, only able to catch a glimpse of Mercury, as the shut the door. The doctor kept walking, his hand trailing over the disconnector. "You are a mystery to me. You just walked in here today, acting as someone wanting to be my apprentice. You turn out to be one of Ephilus men and I just can't wrap my head around...", the doctor trailed off, Mercury using the extra time to struggle out of the hand cuffs without him noticing.

"Then that woman just calls out of nowhere...", _is he talking about Amy? What's so important about that?_ Mercury stopped struggling, seeing the doctor turn towards him. Walking closer he grasped his cuffed hands, squinting his eyes, as he inspected him closely once more. Mercury frowned at him, pushing away his hands to free himself off the cuffs. The doctor took two steps back, taking in his whole image.

Mercury just freed himself, yet, he seems so relaxed. Mercury got an uneasy feeling. "You remind me of the other one. Even though you are... somehow special. Just what is it with you.", Mercury frowned, the doctor grasping for something in his pockets. Mercury feared it was a pistol, as he started running towards the doctor, taking cover behind his beloved machine.

"I'll get my answers out of you, by force if necessary.", what he hid inside his pocket locked more like some sort of needle, rather than a gun. It had weird stripes engraved, the coloration a mystery by itself. It was almost creepy, the way the doctor just calmly walks at him, turning at the edge of the device.

Mercury got away from his spot, standing to face him. The doctor adjusted his glasses, sighing as if he would have rather done this in another way. Dr. Devistee stepped in, the needle just barely missing Mercury's chest, cutting into his clothing and leaving a small cut on his chest. Even though he was a man of science, it felt like the doctor has fought before, Mercury was barely able to dodge his slices.

With all his concentration on dodging, Mercury didn't even get a chance to counterattack, as he was pushed further and further back. His back hit the wall, the doctor, not missing the opportunity, brought the needle in, wanting to strike his shoulder. Mercury's reflexes finally caught up, catching his hands before he made contact with his flesh.

The doctor kept pushing, his eyes locked with Mercury's. He felt his stare drill into his very soul, like he was stealing all of his thought, all of his secrets. Suddenly breaking away from him, the doctor seemed stunned, gritting his teeth and seemingly holding his head in pain. Mercury didn't know what he was planning, but it couldn't be good. Was it just his plan to make Mercury relax and underestimate him?

Mercury kept up his stance, though all of a sudden he felt all dizzy, his vision got all foggy. Was this the doctor's doing? From what he could barely make out, Dr. Devistee walked in closer, as Mercury felt a sharp pain in his leg. He screamed, his eyes working hard to make out what just happened. The doctor had rammed the bolt into his leg, effectively making him fall to the ground. He was pulled towards the machine, feeling the cold metal clinging at his wrist and ankles.

Dr. Devistee stood above him, looking down with a pained expression, before it turned back to his usual smile. "You feel that? A special sort of ammo designed for people like you. Robs you of your energy and destroys any fluid of the lepidoptera flowing through your veins. So you can't even use your power, if you have any that is. I could go into detail, but then we'd still be sitting here tomorrow.", the doctor went around the room, gathering some pills, which he quickly swallowed and turned on the machinery.

He turned to Mercury with a bright grin, walking towards the table. "Mercury, Mercury, Mercury... Mercury.", with each repetition of his name, Mercury saw the doctor hop around the table he was strapped to. With the final one he slammed down his hands close to his head, Mercury flinching in terror, the bright light from above making him squint his eyes.

"I don't know why that name makes me so happy, hah. I hope you're having as much fun as I'm having... but let's get this show over with already.", he hopped over towards the console, his hand hovering on a big lever. "It won't hurt... much.", as soon as the lever was pulled, Mercury saw the machine brighten. He struggled in his straps to get them off, fear overcoming every cell in his body.

A lot of commotion could be heard outside, loud bangs hitting the door, over and over. "Sounds like your friends have arrived to the party, hah. I was hoping to spend more time with you alone, but oh well.", the bangs continued, Mercury eyeing the door as his last hope, but it was too late. The pain surged through his body, the beam had started to destroy his link.

 **-[A few minutes ago... in front of the lab]-**

Sly stood in between the row of guards, his gaze gaze constantly inspecting the door. If only he could at least peek inside. He feared what might happen inside, Mercury dealing with the doctor by himself. His clearly troubled gaze was searching the area for some sort of distraction. The other guards remained still, but Sly did get a few suspicious looks. Sly had looked through the entire room, as his eyes set upon the vents, a smile broadening on his lips.

The vent cover dropped and landed in the middle of the guards, a small round object on top. The baboons looked at one another, scratching their heads, as suddenly smoke covered the entire room. Through the commotion you could hear what seemed to be the sound of fists being thrown, as the baboons started to fight admits the smoke. Sly used the opportunity to climb atop of them, looking through the slit in the door. He could see Mercury hiding behind the big device he had seen before, the doctor seemingly looking for something in his pocket.

Sly felt a hand calmly touch his shoulder, turning his head he saw Amy. "Are you two alright? Where is Mercury?", Sly turned back to the slit, gesturing Amy to come closer. "This doctor fellow brought him in there and locked everyone else out. We need to get in there and help him.", Sly emptied his pockets, looking for his lockpick. "I'm glad you showed up when you did, these guys didn't even move an inch and I had nowhere to go.", Sly smiled at Amy, gritting his teeth on a small flashlight to better see the lock.

A baboon stepped closer behind them, clenching his fists at the easy prey. Once Amy looked back, the baboon threw a punch towards them, as she brought up her cover. The baboon stopped, a heavy impact to his face knocking him out effectively. Raz retracted his arm, a small bolt stuck in it. "Raz, are you alright?", he just waved her off, looking at Sly opening the door. "The rest of the baboons knocked themselves out, but the doctor worked on his chemical equipment, these thing sting real bad.", pulling it out he stepped closer to them, looking through the gap to see inside the lab.

Raz gritted his teeth, seeing Devistee jump around the table. "Get it open and fast.", Sly already felt pressured, so the wolf breathing down his neck wasn't of any help. Only a moment passed, as he heard Mercury's pained cries from within. The sound made Sly drop his lockpick, was it too late? Raz saw him hesitate, pushing him away from the door, as he readied his fists. "What- are you just going to punch it?!", Sly looked at Raz totally baffled for words, seeing his arm change slightly in coloration.

He aimed for the door hinges, hoping to make a way inside quickly. With the impact of his fist the hinges loosened and creaked. After another punch the door fell, landing inside the lab with a loud thud. Amy and Raz quickly entered the room, being joined by Sly after a moment of hesitation. The trio stood near Mercury, unknowing to what the best sort of action would be.

"Dr. Devistee we've got you cornered. Turn off the machine and turn yourself in.", Raz grabbed the gun out of his holster, as Sly walked past him towards Mercury. Sly looked at the device, grabbing for his cane, ready to take a swing. "Don't! If you want to help him, you have to turn off the device first. If you cut the link mid-operation he'll die.", Sly felt a weird sort of pressure, his arms not moving an inch. It was almost like Raz had a grip on him and held him back.

By the way Raz's voice sounded, Sly knew he was serious. Sly brought his cane down, turning to Raz who's gaze remained on the doctor, his pistol keeping him in check. Amy scooted closer, grabbing for her pistol as well. "Raz, we have to shut it off, now! His link was already unstable, this could get dangerous... for all of us.", Raz nodded, seeing the doctor smile, as he brought up his arms to chest height.

"Turn it off yourself!", out of the doctor's sleeves came two small bolt guns, holding the very same ammo that he used on Mercury. They stared at each other both having the other at gunpoint. A stand off was the last thing they needed, as Raz looked towards Mercury, feeling the pressure of time. The doctor's weapons clicked, firing bolts towards the trio. Raz's reflexes caught up with him, as he pulled up the metal door, giving the team some much needed cover.

The clicking continued and so did the screams of agony. They were at an impasse and pressed for time. Raz kept the door in place, working his brain for a quick solution. Raz saw Sly's gaze constantly focused on Mercury, only changing direction ever so often. Raz would not be able to carry the door and provide cover at the same time and dropping it was out of the question. Of course they could peek and try to incapacitate the doctor, but that might take too long. Maybe they could attack him from behind, but how's that going to work?

"Raz, lend me your back.", Raz raised his gaze, seeing Sly run back a little bit. He did as he asked, wondering what he had in mind. With a little bit of a sprint, Sly climbed his back, jumping above the door. His cane clung to some pipes protruding from the disconnector, swinging him across the room and towards the doctor. This came to Devistee's surprise, as Sly landed on his shoulders. Sly swung his cane, hitting him in the back, effectively staggering the doctor for a moment. Sly kept rolling, his hand reaching for the handle to turn off the disconnector.

Raz went for the opening Sly created, letting the door drop as he rushed towards Devistee. The beam that hit Mercury slowly vanished, stopping the operation. Mercury's screams stopped, as he collapsed in his restraints, an audible last breath leaving his mouth. Sly ran over, past Devistee and Raz, stopping beside Mercury.

"Hey! Hey! No, no... I did everything right, I turned off the machine first. Stay with me now!", Sly practically jumped on the table, grabbing Mercury and pulled him into his arms. Not entirely focused, Raz watched them every possible moment while he dodged Devistee's strikes. "Mercury!", Sly's cry struck Amy, as she quickly ran over to the pair, seeing Sly almost fall off the table with his friend in his arms.

Amy brought them both down to the ground, watching the lifeless body in Sly's arms. It didn't feel right, they did everything right, Amy knew they did. Her eyes trailed over his body, seeing a small bolt stuck in his leg. Amy grabbed hold of it, pulling it out of Mercury in one quick motion. Sly just watched her for a moment, seeing her crawl around to the other side, opening Mercury's eye.

Blinded by sorrow it quickly turned to anger, as Sly was about to ask Amy what in the hell she was doing to him. Unexpectedly, Sly saw the color in Mercury's eye glow brightly, like that time he had seen the morning before. Not long after, Mercury's chest moved again, breathing in and out slowly. Mercury's body straightened into a sitting position, eyeing everyone in the room. Surprisingly, everyone had stopped what they were doing, even Devistee, watching closely what was about to happen.

Sly was glad, a smile slowly growing on his lips, as he watched his friend. Amy slowly backed off, getting back on Sly's side. "Sly, back off. Right now, that might not be Mercury.", what now? Sly felt Amy grab him by the collar, pulling him backwards. To Sly his friend seemed totally normal, the only thing off was that he kept one of his eyes closed. "We have to expect the worst... I'm sorry.", Amy pointed her gun at Mercury, biting her lip to stay focused.

Sly watched her in disbelief, what was she planning to do? Mercury got on his knees, breathing heavier than before, as he hunched forward, his head meeting the ground. Coming back up quickly, a grunt of pain leaving his mouth, he grasped for his head. Amy struggled to keep her gun steady, Sly still clueless to what's going on with his friend.

Mercury slowly recovered, his head and gaze rising to them. "...Amy-?... Sly...", a heavy sigh of relief left Amy, as she immediately loosened the grip on her gun. Putting it back into her holster, she rushed over to Mercury, Sly not too far behind, as he went to his side. At the tone of a simple laughter, Raz quickly turned back, readying himself once more. "Fascinating, truly fascinating. To regain consciousness after being exposed to the beams effect for so long...", as Raz and Devistee were caught up in their fight again, Sly turned back to his friend.

"So you were just unconscious? Why do you always have to scare me to death?", Sly saw Mercury struggle to keep upright, Amy and Sly supporting his arms for the meanwhile. Sly saw Mercury eye the doctor closely, his gaze catching on to Sly, roaming his body. After a moment, Mercury fell over once more, Sly quickly grasping under his arms to help him up. Weird, he felt like he had a tight grip before.

Sly could see his head turn, Mercury's eyes locking with his. "Sly, the... the remote? Do you still have it?", the question came out of nowhere, but Sly searched through his pockets, which definitely felt emptier than before. Pulling it out of his pocket, he saw the red light glow, as if someone had armed the connected charges. Sly looked at the remote, then back to Mercury with a puzzled look. "Blow the charges, now.", his words were met with confusion and disbelief of the group.

"Do you plan to let us all explode?! Are you crazy?", Raz defended himself against Devistee, only having so much time to look back at them. Amy joined in, a hand on Mercury's shoulder. "He's right, Raz got it under control. We were able to sneak some troops inside, there is no need for such drastic measures...", Sly looked into Amy's eyes, before they went down to meet with Mercury's eyes. They were so pure, with a strange mix of courage. The two raccoons locked their eyes, Mercury nodding at Sly slowly.

That was enough for Sly, a wide grin appearing on his lips. How could he not believe in his friend, when he is so trusting? To Amy and Raz it seemed like madness, as Sly held up the remote and let the charges blow. To their surprise they were fine, hearing several explosions in the distance. Sly grabbed the satchel off of his back, revealing it to Amy. "It's empty... I knew it felt a little too light.", Sly smiled down at Mercury who laid down, lying on the floor, breathing softly.

"You could have told us, but nevermind that now... Amy to all troops. Entrance has been breached, search and capture. Catch any hostiles, if possible.", Amy radioed through to all troops, turning back to Mercury and Sly once she was done. "I guess that is my cue to end this little party of ours. It's sad we have to part ways like this, but I've run out of time it seems. Ta-ta. Thanks for the show.", before he could get a hold of Devistee, they were caught by a bright flash of light.

After their vision cleared, they could barely see Dr. Devistee leave the room. "Amy!", at the call of her name she simply nodded, rushing after the doctor. Raz went over to Sly and Mercury, as they brought him up slowly. Raz saw the miserable state he was in, wondering if it had been a good idea to let him go this far. Mercury raised his head, his eyes meeting Raz's.

"Next time, you should be more-", a hand suddenly grasped at Raz's armor. It wasn't out of anger or the matter, at least it didn't feel like it. Raz could see it shaking clearly though. Mercury's lips were twitching, a smile, as good as he could form it, appearing on his lips. He first looked at Sly, then Raz. "Thank you. Thank you for saving me.", Sly shook his head, smiling back at the raccoon. For Raz it wasn't that simple, he looked down at the two, simply nodding at his words.

"Amy, did you catch up to him yet?", Raz walked on ahead, seeing Sly carry Mercury on his back. "No, I lost him. I got caught up in a set of tunnels. He must have fled already...", Raz cursed silently, his fist hitting a wall. "Alright, don't set another foot in there, it might be filled with traps. Let's head back and let the guys from back-up do the rest. He won this time.", Raz had a weird feeling running through him, taking a last glance back at the raccoons, before he left the room.

They made their way back, Sly carrying Mercury down the hallway. Mercury's eyes felt heavy and tired, constantly trying to focus with the up and down motion. Yet, his eyes could clearly make out a small bear standing at the end of a long corridor, smiling and waving at him. Mercury still felt exhausted, unable to move easily, but he did his best to smile and wave back with his hand. Before he knew it, they were out the door and Mercury's eyes had closed entirely.

 **End of Chapter eleven.**


	12. Backstory: The Feeling Inside

**Sly Cooper and the Thievius Raccoonus  
(Yaoi Fan Fiction)**

 **Back-story: Chapter 5**

 **(Hey guys, sorry for the last two chapters coming out at literally the same second. :o I hope you didn't get confused. Also went and updated the Chapter names to prevent confusion.)**

 **For disclaimer : I do not own Sly Cooper or any of their Characters.**

 **-[Back at the base]-**

A soft breeze circled through the room, the sound of a door swinging close causing for a rude awakening. Mercury's fingers rubbed over his exhausted eyes, as he slowly opened them to see if anyone was in the room. Sly was sitting at the open window, which explained the cool breeze- and now shut door. Just like Mercury, Sly eyed the door, his gaze finally noticing Mercury awaken. Instantly he jumped off the small windowsill, his hands grasping the bars on the side of Mercury's bed.

"How are you feeling?", blinking a few times, Mercury threw Sly a short glimpse. "I feel like someone fried my insides, other than that... a little tired?", it was hard to clarify how he felt, he felt like a lot of things right now... but at least he was alive, so that's always good. It also seemed like a relief to Sly. Mercury looked at the closed door, seeing two people arguing on the other side. Following his gaze, Sly noticed Mercury's expression change, his head dropped slightly and his eyes looked troubled. Mercury noticed him staring, a soft chuckle escaping his lips.

"Déjà-vu... after our first mission it was the exact same. I woke up in the hospital bed. Vernell, the fox in your group, was with me and kept an eye on me. I had failed to keep the hostage out of harm's way and failed to protect myself. I was sure I was about to die... in my presumably final second all I could think of was... well, you know that story, right?", Mercury realized he was staring right into Sly's eyes, stopping himself from letting another word escape. Instead a small smile became more and more apparent on his lips.

"Well it's not entirely a déjà-vu then. The mission was a success, right?", Mercury appreciated the way Sly wanted to make him feel better, but with Devistee gone and no hint or trail whatsoever, who could call this a success? Mercury leaned back against his cushions, his mind flooded with the recent events. He wasn't sure where to begin and break down his thoughts. Maybe the weird partial stories of Devistee, maybe what the story behind the kid was or what he and Sly had talked about in the cell.

There was no time to think about it further though, as the pair of wolf and mouse stormed into the room. "You can't just storm in, he's still recovering.", with steady steps the wolf came closer, stopping near the bed to get a closer look at Mercury. Raz mostly ignored Amy's warning, rolling his eyes. Crossing his arms, he looked down at the raccoon. "Mercury, you set the charges on every location we mentioned during the briefing, except for the tunnels. The doctor escaped, because said tunnels were unharmed by explosives, can you-", Sly waved his arms, clearly not liking where this was going.

"Hold it right there, it sounds like you want to say, he is the one at fault.", the two exchanged gloomy gazes, Raz turning his attention to Sly for the moment. "I'm not here to blame anyone, but I am the one who has to explain to the higher ups, why the mission didn't go as planned. I hope you didn't forget about the consequences, Sly.", Mercury's eyes alternated between the two, feeling the pressure between the two building, nearly overwhelming him and pressing him further into the bed.

"I saw a kid in there, that's why I didn't set any charges.", the two broke their eye contact, Raz's gaze trailing over to Mercury. Raz scratched at his temple, clearly in deep thought. "A kid? In the tunnels?", Mercury nodded, thinking back to the moment he was caught by Devistee. "Before I was caught, I saw this small child down the path. They took him away before I could ask him anything. Then again as we left, I saw the child standing in a corridor.", Raz's eyes traveled over the bed, his hand remaining at his chin. By the look in his eyes, Mercury could tell he didn't believe his words at all.

"There was no such indication of a child there. You might have been hallucinating, maybe a side effect of the disconnector.", Mercury knew for sure it was no 'side effect', especially since he had seen the child before. Raz turned to Amy, their words blurred out, as Mercury thought of a way to convince them. _Think, Mercury. Think!_ His eyes shot open, remembering the small toy the child had left behind. Mercury pulled away the covers, frantically searching through his pockets.

Sly was the first to notice, wondering what has gotten into him. Mercury felt over a small object in his back pocket, it felt like a soft ball with small appendages. Mercury pulled it out to check it out, and indeed it was the toy he found in the tunnels. "Raz, does this look like a hallucination to you? I found it in the tunnels, shortly before we got cut off.", their eyes scanned the object and Mercury knew, now he had their full attention.

"Think about it, it makes sense. These files of different cases of Lepidoptera the doctor worked on, and the boy I saw in the tunnels. These cases he worked on must have been children. It would explain why there were no more reports of newborn children with this strain of genetic material. His goons caught them, leaving their parents unable to report it to the authorities.", Mercury's throat felt kind of itchy, suddenly feeling uncomfortable, since all eyes focused on him.

A small blush crossed his face, trying to avoid their eyes. "At least it makes sense in theory. To me, I mean...", he slowly raised his gaze, Raz grabbed the toy and dropped it into Amy's hands. He could tell the wolf was thinking over his theory, lingering for a moment, before his head turned to Amy. "Get into contact with the backup team, make them look through the place again. If they missed anything, call me immediately.", Amy nodded, her gaze falling to Mercury. He saw a smile on her face and a thumbs up to him, as she rushed out of the room.

There was a moment of silence, the three of them exchanging gazes. Raz was the first to speak up, coughing slightly. "Once you can move again, you should get back to training.", once again the wolf had a special way with his words. Mercury smiled softly and nodded. Raz turned and went through the exit, leaving the raccoons to themselves. "Jesus, hearing him talk reminds me too much of a robot.", Sly imitated the movements of a robot, getting a genuine laugh out of Mercury.

"It his way of worrying about others. That's what Amy told me.", now all by themselves, Mercury noticed this weird tension grow inside of him. The way Sly looked at him, his smile genuine, his eyes crystal clear. Sly didn't seem to shy away from him even after Mercury was led astray by his inner conflicts. Even when it hurt him the most, Sly was by his side. Just thinking about it, made his head pulse immensely. It was uncomfortable to be this close to Sly.

Sly noticed his discomfort, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Hey, you alright? Need me to call a nurse?", Mercury opened his eyes, his hand grasping for Sly's. He placed their hands down on the bed, a small smile appearing on his lips. "No, but maybe you could get me some aspirin?", Sly didn't hesitate, his quick steps taking him out the door. Once in the corridor, he looked through a nearby cabin. Setting his foot back into the room, he could already tell something was off. The window was wide open... and Mercury was no where to be found.

"Anything new?", Amy saw Raz swoop around the corner, leaning over her chair. He looked at her screen, seeing some photos, recently mailed to her. "They indeed found something, Mercury was right. There was another set of rooms, hidden inside the tunnels, which showed signs of very recent activity. They had multiple children there, Raz. In their hurry, they forgot to switch off their equipment though. With any luck, the guys from tech said, they'd be able to pursue the connection to where they have been sending messages. That's possibly who Devistee is working for. This is a big deal, if it turns out to be true.", Amy turned in her chair, evidently happy that they might still have some cards in their deck.

The time to be happy had yet to come, at least Raz thought so. "We'll have to be ready for the tech team to verify the signals, until then stand down. I need our teams at full capacity for the next time we meet him. He's not getting away!", Amy could feel a shiver crawl over her skin, seeing Raz's hands curl into fists, his muscles tensing immensely. She could tell that feelings came through, feelings which he normally was able to conceal. Yet, everyone knows, that no matter how hard one tries, sometimes even the hardest mask can have cracks.

"Listen, if you-", after one glance at his face she realized he was not in the mood for a 'teatime-therapy hour'. She'd just have to wait for him to say anything. His hand remained on his face, rubbing over strained eyes. "Anything new regarding Mercury?", changing the subject, Raz regained himself, seeing Amy turn back to her screen. "Well, I might have something. I mean, you were there, too. Didn't it seem suspicious to you that Mercury was so bent on blowing up the charges? Didn't it feel like he knew something, that we didn't?", Raz shrugged, the mouse clearly excited about something.

"Well, I can only theorize. I'd like to ask Mercury some questions. Besides, we need to tell the two your new orders, right? Feel like tagging along?", slightly shaking his head, he gestured her to lead the way. However, they were only able to take a few steps, before hearing someone scream at the top of their lungs.

With rushed steps they turned the corner, looking for the cause of the scream. In the distance, Amy could make out Mercury, traveling across the field towards one of the security towers. Feeling the need to go and check, her feet took their first steps, immediately being stopped by Raz. "Don't. We'll talk to him later. He's got something more important to worry about.", Raz's hand on Amy's shoulder pulled her back softly, as both looked down the hallway.

Sly walked through the entirety of pathways once more. He wasn't at the medical bay, neither at the training fields, nor his quarters. There wasn't that many places he could have gone, yet, Sly was unable to find Mercury. An almost bestial scream echoed through the hallway. Concerned, Sly followed the path to its end. His eyes spotted the other raccoon in the distance. Looking down the hallway, he could also see the familiar mouse and wolf.

Raz pulled Amy back, nodding at Sly. He went in closer, inspecting the raccoon from below. Sly wondered what happened, seeing Mercury sit all the way on top of the tower, his legs dangling down, passing through the railing. Sly climbed the ladder, ascending towards his friend. Meanwhile Mercury didn't make any sound or movement. During his climb, Sly felt something moist hit his brow, as it trailed down his face.

His finger touched the substance, as he noticed the red coloration. Other small drops were also found on the ladder, trickling down the metal bars, almost like a crimson trail left for him. Sly climbed all the way, finding himself standing next to his friend. Now if only he could look inside his head, so he knew with which Mercury he had to deal with right now. Sly took a side note, he would definitely need to ask Bentley to build such a machine for him.

Sly took it slow, the beautiful horizon in clear view with his friend beside him, his hands on the railing. Slowly sitting down besides his friend, he guided his legs through the railing like he had. "So... you come here often?", Sly started with his usual way of cracking the ice. With his humor. At least Mercury seemed to have noticed he was there. Sly was concerned over the blood he saw, wondering where and how he had been wounded.

Poking him with some question would be a good start, right? "So... you hear that scream, too? Sounded like someone got hurt really, really bad.", Sly could see the muscle in Mercury's arm tighten. Mercury's head had been resting on a metal bar, looking down at his hands. Sly tried his best to get a better view, seeing Mercury hold onto one hand tightly.

"Mercury- ...you okay? Want to tell me what happened?", still trying to get a better view of his friend, Sly leant forward, his eyes looking at his hands through the bars. Sly guessed, since he wasn't shut down yet, that Mercury was okay with him being here. He gestured him to slightly tilt and show him his wound. "You know how people mention that when you feel like you're sleeping you wake up, if you hurt yourself?", twisting his hand slightly, it came into Sly's view, droplets of blood trailing down his fingers.

 _Ouch._ Sly couldn't help but squirm slightly. Mercury didn't seem bothered at all though, his eyes focused on the horizon. "It doesn't seem to work.", Sly inspected the wound carefully, all the while bringing Mercury's hand closer. Out of his backpack he grabbed a bandage, placing it over the bloody bruise. Sly noticed Mercury's eyes just hovering on him.

His eyes never really longed for the others eye contact, rather just confirmation he was doing a good job- no, looking closer one could tell he was formulating words in his head carefully. Words for Sly -maybe to justify himself? It was hard to guess what exactly was going on inside of him, but his eyes seemed to stay with Sly, all the while he covered his hand up. Sly knew by the way their eyes met, holding eye contact for only a moment, before breaking it again... -Mercury had something to say, yet, he didn't.

Once Sly finished, Mercury slightly twisted his hand and bent his fingers. Mercury's thumb trailed over the inside of his hand. The bandage was already bloody again, but it was serving it's purpose, and honestly- it was better than nothing. "There is a lot that needs to be said... but they also feel like things I can not tell you, things I can only show you and things you already know.", Sly's gaze raised to level with the raccoons. His eyes were on the horizon, the thumb still tracing over the bandage from side to side.

The raccoon finally looked back into Sly's eyes, his mouth slightly opened, the words not yet in order. "I tried, I really did. I wanted to think and say that we can just go back to normal. Now I realize it's not that easy. I've been a total dick to you. These past days I only screamed and argued against you, I wanted to get rid of you, and worst of all I wanted to hurt you.", even though they weren't aimed at him in a bad way, his words hit Sly, and they hit hard.

"Hey, if you're talking about what happened in that hallway then forget about it. That wasn't you... if anything, it reminded me more of the 'you' when that disconnector had hit you. You seemed totally out of it, so don't trouble yourself with that.", Sly looked at him, a gasp of air left Mercury, small laughter hidden within it. "That's another thing I noticed... you were here. You backed me up whenever I needed it. I wasn't asking for it -neither did I deserve any of it. Yet, there you are, helping me and not once questioning me.", a smile slowly appeared on Mercury's face, Sly mirroring the gesture.

"I didn't know how to handle any of it in the slightest, thinking back I think I even got mad, that you never shied away from helping me...", Sly chuckled softly, the other raccoon stared down, slightly blushing. "Come on, it's not that funny. Anyway... I couldn't let things simply go back to normal, not the way things stand. I really want to make it up to you, so tell me when you guys need any help again... at least if you still want it.", Mercury's voice faded out towards the end, a faint trail of uncertainty in them.

Sly had the urge to snuff his negativity, ruffling through his hair, as he brought him closer. Mercury's hand felt over his head, his eyes focused on Sly. "I told you already, we're a team and your friends. You're going to have to try harder to get rid of us...", a thought crossed Sly's mind, as he fumbled around in his pockets.

"Speaking of friends...", he felt through his backpocket, finding what he had looked for. "I guess it's a little crumbled, but...", Sly held out a cookie in front of them, both raccoons inspecting the pieces of baked dough. Mercury grinned at his friend, his teeth showing, as his smile broadened. "It's a present of Raz. And to me it seemed like a token, that you'd remember and appreciate.", Sly looked back into Mercury's eyes, a heartwarming smile upon him.

"A gift, huh?", Mercury first looked at the cookie, then back to Sly. The thief could tell by his gaze, that he had been caught. "Well, I guess I kind of took it when I thought he wasn't looking.", Mercury couldn't believe he had done that with the wolf himself, but still couldn't help laughing. "You'll never change...", _and that's good..._ Mercury leaned into Sly's shoulder, the others face now slightly flushed, but a smile on it nonetheless.

Sly dropped some crumbled pieces into Mercury's hand. Thinking back, the things Mercury wanted to do, the challenge he had hoped to master, to show he was no longer the weak link of the team... without Sly he couldn't have done it. Both of them enjoyed the view of the falling sun, munching on their baked pieces.

"Hey Merc?", his head tilted slightly, his gaze lifting up to Sly. "If you want to make something up to me, then promise... -never try to sacrifice yourself for us by leaving the gang again...", his eyes closed, as he snuggled back into Sly's shoulder. There was no way he could, not with friends so great. Mercury wished the moment would last forever, simply because it felt so right to be at Sly's side.

His thoughts were interrupted however, as a familiar beeping sound called out to Sly. Sly grabbed his binocucom. "Bentley? What's up?", Sly straightened himself, the turtle already overwhelming him with questions. Mercury watched Sly, the way he slowly got up, standing beside him. "Yes, don't worry, I'm coming.", Sly rolled his eyes, putting the binocucom away and brushing off the last of the crumbs.

Mercury saw him extend a hand towards him, looking more charming that ever. The crumbs around his mouth were extra -making Mercury smile slightly. "You said you'd help us out, right? The guys are waiting... so if you want to...", he didn't have to finish his sentence, Mercury grabbing his hand and getting on his feet. The were in luck, most of the guards seemed to be on a break and their squads were done for today. It couldn't be more perfect.

Scaling over the same fence where they have first met, Sly dropped on the other side. Mercury followed his steps, dropping next to him. "I stuck the lading this time.", his words caused a smile on Sly face, almost making him fall behind, once he started running. The van was already in range, the two rushing forward. "Oh, Sly, by the way...", Mercury gestured him to wipe around his mouth. As he did, he felt several crumbs drop, doing so until all were gone. Sly shook his head, smiling as he tried to keep up with Mercury.

Opening the door on the back, Mercury saw the turtle look back. Mercury got closer, putting his hand on Bentley's shoulder. His gaze went on to the hippo, seeing him smile brightly, traces of a sandwich still visible on him. Sly finally caught up, Mercury seeing his wide smile, as he looked over his shoulder. Yeah, this feeling inside was familiar. He felt happy. These guys were where he belonged. They were family.

 **End of Chapter twelve.**


	13. Mr Crusher

**Sly Cooper and the Thievius Raccoonus  
(Yaoi Fan Fiction)**

 **For disclaimer : I do not own Sly Cooper or any of their Characters.**

 **Sly Cooper and the gang in: Sunset Snake Eyes**

 **-[On their way to Mugshot]-**

"It had been a while since I had been back in the US. Next up... -the notorious Mugshot, ruthless muscle of the fiendish five. What he lacked in brains, he definitely mad up for in brawn.

Turns out he wasn't always that way...

He grew up as the run of the litter- the neighborhood weakling. The only friends he could turn to were usually on the big screen. It was there that he spotted his first gangster, and knew instantly that's that what he wanted to be. He spent the rest of his youth working real hard to get there. Fueled of his dreams of great power and respect. With enough perspiration he realized that dream.

He'd become a hard-boiled, street brawling, tough as nails gangster. Ensuring that he'd never kicked on or pushed around again.

So he's hold up in Mesa City, eh? I've always wanted to go to that thriving, American boom-town."

 **-[Mesa City]-**

Murray had just brought the van to a halt, as Sly already jumped out the back. It had been a long drive, so his stretching seemed reasonable. Mercury had dozed off slightly every so often, but with every bump in the road he had been awoken to the sound of Bentley tapping away on his laptop. The rapidness and loudness could probably be seen as a defense mechanism, after all they had came closer and closer the their next target. Anyway, one could estimate quickly that he was nervous.

"Alright guys, this is as far as it goes. Maybe there is a way to reach Mesa City through this small town.", the tired raccoon followed Bentley's pointing, seeing a large door. It was shut and nailed closed. He could see Sly tilt his head, inspecting it closely, before turning to the van. "Alright, you guys stay safe. Mercury and I'll find a way in.", his gaze rested on the other raccoon. "You are coming, right?", he jumped out of the car, smiling slightly. Well if he asked so nicely, who was Mercury to decline?

The door had shining lights above, the Mesa City flashing in and out of color. The raccoons could hear barking and huffing behind the door. Mercury turned to Sly, presenting the door to him. "After you.", Sly chuckled, ascending on the pipes next to it. On the top he looked down, spotting some goons, possibly Mugshot's. Well... definitely Mugshot's, they were dogs after all.

They had just left the van, but the binocucoms beeping already reached Sly. "Hey Sly! I thought you said Mesa City was loud and busy. This looks more like a ghost town!", Bentley was right, and Sly had the same feeling. "Something has happened, where is everyone?", Sly looked around the empty trailers and empty roads. It would probably be worth investigating.

"I don't know, but it's starting to give me the creeps. What do you say we take off?", Sly could practically feel the binocucom shaking, like it was emitting Bentley's shivering. "And miss all the fun? Besides I want to try out that new move I got from Raleigh's section of the Thievius Raccoonus.", Mercury could see the grin on Sly's face. He's already set and there was no turning back, no matter what Bentley would say.

"You mean the ninja spire jump?", Bentley scrambled through his notes, trying to find the pages they got from Raleigh. Mercury walked past Sly, taking a close look through the town. It was true, it felt like a real ghost town. Mercury got goosebumps all over, inspecting their situation below. Some of the goons had gathered around a table, seemingly playing poker.

"Yeah. Do me a favor and read me the instructions again...", Sly went closer to the edge, watching the dogs with Mercury. "To landeth safely upon diminutive points, leapeth lively and presseth the triggering device with the round geometrical object emblazoned upon it.", as usual Bentley's instructions made little sense to Mercury. Sly however stood up straight, cracking his knuckles.

"So jump and hit the circle button to land on narrow spots.", Bentley frowned, looking at the instructions again. "That's a rough translation.", _really, Bentley?_ Thatwas no translation at all, as Mercury eyed the other raccoon with a quizzical gaze. Sly took a step back, leaping and spinning in the air. His feet landed on the top of a narrow hanging lamp. With a smug grin on his face, he smiled back at Mercury giving him a thumbs up.

 _My turn..._ Mercury breathed in softly, all he had to do was imitate what Sly had done. If he failed he would land exactly on top of the poker table. Jackpot, right? He hesitated, looking at Sly and the way he leapt to the next lamp. Once again he landed it perfectly. Sly looked back, beckoning him to follow. Exhaling slowly, Mercury stepped towards the ledge. Sly's eyes met him expectantly, which only put more pressure on him.

Waiting would only make it worse, so Mercury took the leap of faith, spinning in the air. His feet made contact with the lamp, momentarily at least... his grip was kind of missing, one foot going past the lamp. Luckily he could hold himself, his entire body grasping at the lamp. Sly smiled at him, the way he hugged tightly around the lamp. Mercury's face flushed, a frown mixing with his embarrassed red features.

Sly helped him back on his feet, Mercury holding on to his cane. Mercury concentrated on the next one, scared he would alert the dogs. Sly watched him closely, his next leap was quite delicate, so to speak. Mercury had landed with both feet on the lamp, but still felt imbalanced, holding the lamp with one hand, the other resting on his knee. Mercury was glad that it sort of worked, seeing Sly's approval.

The raccoons could see the bigger part of the city in the distance. They had just made the first step, and they knew getting there would take some finesse. Sly took a short detour, as he spotted some clues in the distance. Mercury waited, eager to get out of this frightful neighborhood. It felt chilly, trying to heat up with friction did very little. So one could understand when he suddenly felt warmth all over his neck, and down his back, he enjoyed it for just a moment, before- _WHAT THE HELL IS THAT?!_

Mercury jumped back, feeling some slimy substance, which was left on his neck. _Ew._ Taking a closer look, he saw what had come from the dark corner, was a chained dog, now barking at him with crazy eyes. The leash it was put on wasn't very long, so as it tried to reach him, Mercury heard the rope stretch and stretch, followed by wincing every time it was launched back into the pole that kept it in place.

"Real wreckage that was, it was so unsteady it almost- ...you alright?", noticing the spit and goosebumps on Mercury, Sly only now noticed the dog. "I see you had someone keeping you company... and you became close quickly.", Sly's finger indicated the spit still left on his neck, now running down his shoulder. He stowed away the pieces of clues he had found. "Very funny, lead on.", Mercury wiped the spit off as best as he could. He watched Sly jump over the dog, getting its attention, as he lead it straight against the pole holding it, the impact knocking it out.

Sly looked back with a winner's smile. Mercury tried hiding his own smile, rolling his eyes as he walked past. Their way ahead was mostly made of left over sections of an overused road, most of which was blocked by debris. Other sections were just empty, either no grass or the rarely covered patches around. This town seemed to have had the potential to be a beautiful place, so what happened?

Sly's arm extended before Mercury, stopping him from taking any step further. Below their feet were brightly shining and flashing lights. Possibly a trap? Mercury pulled back the foot that hovered over the lights, both raccoons looking at the other with a questioning gaze. "Maybe Bentley knows a way around this.", fumbling through his pockets he grabbed the Binocucom, Bentley already picking it up, eager to hear from them.

"Are we done... -are we taking off?", Sly chuckled slightly, showing the flashing lights through the Binocucom. "Not yet, Bentley. I called because of this... what's with those flashing lights?", looking at the image in front of him, Bentley adjusted his glasses. "The latest in high-tech security – electronic floor sensors. Step on them and you're a goner.", Mercury felt his heart skip a beat, looking at Sly who must have felt the same. He was quite lucky Sly stopped him in time.

"Nice touch.", if one step was enough to bite the dust, how were they supposed to carry on? "They're safe to walk on while flashing, but it also means they're about to switch to a different sector.", the raccoons lifted their heads from the flashing lights, maybe they weren't as lost as it first seemed. "So just avoid touching them until they are flashing, sounds easy enough.", Sly packed away his Binocucom, grabbing the cane from his backpack.

As the light started flashing Sly dashed forward, hoping to make it in one go. The lights were flickering fast, as Sly eyed the other side of the box cart. Before the flashing ended, Sly leapt into the air, landing in the danger-free zone. He gave the circuit box a whack, and the lasers flickered out of existence. Sly bowed down in front of his audience, Mercury, seeing him clap slowly, as he made his way over.

"Thanks, I'll be here all night, more or less... you know, until I get to Muggshot.", Mercury didn't need any explaining, pushing the raccoon further, out of the box cart. The pushing stopped however, as the two looked upon their way further into the city. The road was gone and a great canyon awaited in its wake. If they couldn't grow wings, they would have to find another way...

"Now what?", Mercury edged closer, spying down the cliff side, feeling the rocks crumble below his foot as some fell into the abyss. The two looked around, Sly's eyes inspecting a rocky platform, tilting on top of a lone stone pillar in the middle of the hole itself. The whole formation of rock seemed unstable and destined to fall any second. Mercury had eyed it before and was sure that there had to be a better way, but knowing Sly...

He didn't even have to say a word, Sly simply turned to him, the most care-free of his smiles upon his lips. Before he was able to protest, Mercury was grabbed by his shoulders and led towards a rock wall. They'd have to climb their way onto it and balance across. Mercury gazed back at Sly, his grin was unbelievable. Was it too late to say his last prayers, as Sly led him to his death and he went with so willingly?

Sly climbed the wall, jumping to another set of lamps, conveniently connected to a lamp post positioned below on the lone pillar of stone. They would be able to leap onto it and move forward. Sounds easy, right? This time Mercury didn't even have to worry about landing on a table, coming face to face with a bunch of Muggshot's thugs. This time it was just a bottomless canyon below. Mercury's eyes followed Sly, looking at him balance on the lamp. His eyes went further, sadly ending up looking down into the bottomless pit. _Yup, I'm going to die._

Mercury hesitated, feeling his hands shiver, his entire body soon consumed by it. Upon seeing his friend unable to move, his stare clearly fixated on the bottomless pit, Sly made his way back. He grabbed him off the wall, sitting him down. "I-... -h-hm, h-heh...", Sly stood up straight in front of him, staring down at the stuttering raccoon.

Mercury coughed slightly, seemingly having regained the ability over his vocal cords. "Sorry, I didn't mean to stop us here. I just got a little... frightened? Scared? … I don't really know.", Mercury held his hand, still feeling it shiver constantly. Mercury looked up at his friend, getting a soft smile expressing his sympathy. "I feel kind of pathetic working along side someone as perfect as you. You even use the newest tricks you just learned so flawlessly...", Mercury's gaze lifted with a smile. What he saw was kind of unexpected.

He expected Sly's usual wide toothy grin, ...but what he was actually showing was a blank expression- slowly it changed, his mouth trying to smile but all his lips could do was twitch and try to lift its sides every so often. His eyes focused on the horizon, his hand rubbing over his neck. Mercury wondered what was going on, as he saw Sly move closer, showing his arm to Mercury.

It was shaking. Mercury's mouth went slightly agape, now seeing Sly's mouth able to form a soft smile. "I might seem perfect to you, but you should know that I am not feeling any different than you. Will I make the next jump or will I fall and fail the whole operation. Is my next step my last? I would be lying when I said that I don't think about these questions sometimes.", Sly's eyes went back to the horizon, watching it through his half lidded eyes.

"Heir to an incredible family of thieves, each known for their own specialty and flawless thievery. Can I really match up to them? Can I live up to everybody's expectation, as a part of the Cooper family? Believe me I know that feeling, being scared or suddenly feeling frightened.", Mercury was taken aback, he never thought about it that way. What kind of pressure Sly has to deal with. It was true that there was a lot hinging upon his success. Even Mercury was guilty of watching Sly this way, always expecting him to be perfect.

"Yet, I can not let myself be controlled by these thoughts. My friends and family depend on it. I do everything at the very best of my ability, if that isn't enough, then I simply guess I was not worthy of my families name.", Mercury only now recognized how harsh Sly was to himself. Yet, amazed at how he handled everything and kept his cool even through those thoughts. And the way Sly valued his friends to always do every job at the best of his expense. Sly was truly fascinating.

Sly walked closer and knelt in front of him. "I also depend on you guys- you give me strength, too. I'm not a miracle worker, I can't take your fears away. But maybe you can try it my way... always think of those that depend on your success. If you know somebody will be happy when you succeed, it can give you strength... strength you would not imagine to be possible. My shaking usually stops at that point.", Sly extended his arm and put a hand on Mercury's shoulder. A shudder went through Mercury, feeling the contact change something inside of him.

Mercury's shiver was gone, simply vanishing, as his eyes met Sly's. His smile was bright, standing up in front of him, as he extended a hand towards Mercury. "Now what do you say we take care of a stray dog?", Sly pulled him to his feet, ready to ascend the rock wall once more. "Would that make you happy?", Sly chuckled, seeing Mercury's lips form a smile. "Now you're grasping the concept.", both raccoons started climbing up the wall, Mercury staying slightly behind Sly.

 _Miracle worker or not, Sly... you have your way with words- and in my eyes you're a specialty of your own. You are perfect. But telling you that right now would only put more pressure on you, would it not?_ Mercury remained silent, every so often getting a glimpse of Sly's face and smile. Sly was first to launch towards a lamp, landing on top. This time it was different though. Sly was already on the next lamp, but instead of the endless pit below his feet, all that Mercury saw was Sly's hand extended towards him.

Mercury jumped on the lamp, Sly catching one of his hands. Mercury kept the hold on it for a moment, thanking and nodding towards him. The next jump would be a little harder though, as the rocky platform tilted all the way away from them. Sly would have to hang onto the ledge and pull it down towards them, all the while Mercury would have to be quick enough to also get on the rock.

But it proved to be a lot easier than they thought, as the platform tilted and both raccoons got onto the rock. Mercury had the easier jump onto the platform, helping Sly climb up from the ledge. They felt the platform even out, which made it easier to pull up Sly. Mercury was glad they both got onto it so easily, but something felt off- why did the platform even out so easily, without them moving to the middle ground?

Their question was answered quickly, as a tall and slim dog stared at them from the other side. Oh oh. Charging in could be dangerous as tilting the platform too far could be life threatening. Mercury gave Sly a reassuring nod, he would stay and try to even out the weight. The dog was shuffling something... _a deck of cards?_ Mercury was confused what he was doing with it, seeing him lift his arm back. He wouldn't throw those, right? What good could that possibly do?

Sly was half way there, as the dog threw several cards in their direction. Sly's sudden jump changed the weight distribution immensely, as Mercury's side was brought up and the cards closed in on him quickly. Mercury tried his best to dodge them, feeling a sharp pain through his cheek as his face was grazed by one of the cards. Sly knocked the dog of the platform, sending him flying off to the other side into some tires.

After the platform evened out once more, the two raccoons met up on Sly's side, quickly jumping off onto some solid ground. "You okay?", Sly saw a blood pearl travel down on Mercury's face. "Yeah, don't worry. It's nothing more than a paper cut.", a quick wipe smeared the blood away, leaving only a small red trail. They continued a few steps, seeing the next obstacle in their way. Every thump hitting the floor made it seem like a worse idea to traverse the contraption.

"A crushing machine? No way are we getting through that.", Sly just slowly walked past him, turning to Mercury, as he walked backwards into the contraption. "Wha- Are you crazy?!", he watched as Sly went through the crusher with a big toothy grin, narrowly escaping the deadly thumping impact in front of him. Sly crouched down, curling his finger, gesturing him to follow.

Mercury watched Sly for a moment, feeling like his gesture resembled more of a come-hither look than anything. Shaking his head he followed though, making a stop before the crusher. He gulped, feeling every thump hitting the earth just next to his feet. "Come on, there's nothing stopping you, is there? At least I don't see any shivering this time.", Sly eyed him, his head in his palm. Mercury's hand curled into a fist, it was true, he didn't feel any shivering.

"I guess you just caught me off-guard, daredevils tend to do that to others, Sly.", as the machine lifted, Mercury rushed through, nearly bumping into Sly. "Fair enough.", Sly simply shrugged his shoulders, continuing through the machine. Getting out on the other side, they made a short stop. Sly spotted a safe, positioned on a rock formation close by. Mercury rested against a wooden fence, waiting for Sly to open said safe.

Mercury eyes caught something shiny in a nearby car wreckage. _Huh._ It was another one of those lucky charms. His mind flickered back to what happened on Raleigh's boat. It might come in handy, _maybe having a little faith in it can't hurt..._ -as Mercury leant back against the fence, his eyes noticed Sly pointing almost feverishly at him- no behind him? Mercury turned to see the fence being blown apart next to him, a heavy iron ball smashing through it. With the ball heading straight towards him, he was lucky to duck away just in time.

As it went over his head he could see the dog swinging it, ready to let it fly again. Mercury dodged the heavy ball as best as he could, ultimately catching it at the end of its range. The ball put him off balance, as his arms still held on. His head lifted over the ball, the dog staring at him angrily, as an awkward smile crept on Mercury's lips. Suddenly he felt the heavy force pulling him, still holding on to the ball. Mercury was swung around with it, catching a glimpse of him being send into a wall.

In a last effort, he tried to climb the ball, sitting on top, as it smashed into the wall. _Phew._ Mercury pushed himself away from the wall, not feeling like going on another ride such as that. He jumped off the ball, feeling it being tugged back towards the dog. Mercury got ready to dodge any further attacks, but was relieved to see it was no longer necessary. Sly gave the dog a good whack with his cane.

"Enjoy the ride?", Mercury chuckled, loosening up in Sly's presence. "I was kind of missing a seat belt, but yea...", he watched Sly roll the pages and stash them away. "And you call me the daredevil.", they moved closer to the next fence, ready to ascend over it. "Oh right, because I definitely wanted that ride of merry go round willingly.", the moment of relaxation was over, as the raccoons stared down at two furious dogs, both equipped with a heavy metal ball.

Almost synchronized they jumped off the fence, the two metallic balls smashing their former foothold. The dogs turned, Sly and Mercury positioned behind them. Sly readied his cane, while Mercury brought up his fists with a certain kind of uncertainty. Sly charged the one in front of him, leading him back a bit, the pair of fighters now suddenly separated. Mercury was left with one dog eyeing him up, the ball relentlessly swinging above his head.

He wasn't sure how he would deal with him, but Sly seemed to trust him enough to leave him in charge of one of them. Mercury quickly checked his surrounding, maybe he could make us of it. Perhaps get the ball stuck in something? His ears peeked up at the familiar thumping sound behind him. A quick glance at the machinery gave him an idea, but he felt unease inside, as he'd wager quite a lot.

Mercury's foot slithered backwards slowly, keeping the dog in clear view, as he also scanned Sly's fight from afar. The dog finally went for a swing. Mercury ducked away, using the chance to dash a little backwards. Luckily the dog followed, playing into Mercury's hands. Mercury stopped, sensing he must be close enough, as the dog walked closer.

 _Alright, dodge and knockout. You got this._ Mercury's eyes focused on the ball and the thumping noise behind him. Every so often he allowed a glimpse to land on Sly. But no more of that, the dog made his move, swinging the ball straight at Mercury. He waited for the right moment, placing his hands on the ball, as he quickly lifted himself over it. The ball flew further, circling around the pole above the smashing platform.

That worked out well enough, as Mercury watched the entangled chain lift up, the dog getting reeled in. _Now all that's left-_ Mercury felt a heavy knock back, as the dog was reeled in quicker than he imagined. Mercury lifted his head, his vision a little shaky -the dog was gone. The rustling of chains above caught his attention, as he painfully lifted his gaze up.

The dog had held on to the chain, which left him surprisingly undamaged. He dropped down on Mercury, grabbing him by the throat. He felt the dog's tight grip, slowly heaving him under the crusher. Mercury struggled against the grip, seeing the crusher come closer and closer. His struggling was in vain, as the crusher already caught one of his ears. Mercury would have screamed out, if he had the air for it...

Sly dodged the dog's attacks easily, waiting for him to swing, as he stuck his cane into one of the holes in the chain. The dog struggled to free the ball, as Sly charged at him with a raised hand. The dog put up his guard, fearing the punch. Once he opened his eyes, the raccoon was gone. He scratched his brow, only to spot Sly below, sweeping away his legs, as he grabbed for his cane and knocked him out.

Sly turned to see how Mercury managed the other dog, spotting the dog dropping down onto the raccoon. Sly grasped his cane, charging forward, as he was suddenly laid flat on the ground. Was it the guard? Luckily no, he only got caught in the chain. Sly rushed his actions, almost making his tangled up leg worse, his eyes staying with Mercury the whole time.

If his ear was only a taste for what was to come, Mercury knew it was going to hurt. The platform raised above his head, his eyes focusing on a certain left over chain. His head turned slightly, spotting the ball hanging over just to the right. Instead of trying to free himself out of the grasp, one of Mercury's hands went out to grab the chain, his reach barely able to make it rustle at his touch.

His hand finally grasped it- and just in time, as the platform was ready to come falling down. Mercury pulled as hard as he could, the ball shaking heavily on the other side, the chain slipping out of his hand. With the descend of the crusher, Mercury closed is eyes... -this time it wasn't the usual thump though. He reopened his eyes, seeing the ball next to him dented by the impact. It was only a small relief however, as Mercury only fueled his attackers grip.

"Mercury!", Mercury's eyes scanned around, seeing Sly fidgeting around. At least he got rid of his guard. The crusher didn't stop, denting the ball with every descend. The crusher or strangulation, not really a great choice either way. Mercury eyed Sly, who had finally freed himself and charged towards him. There had to be something he could do, as he frantically started rummaging through his pockets.

The ball was almost done for, he gave it one more good hit and that would be it. At the same time he could barely see anything, his oxygen almost completely gone. Mercury raised his hand towards Sly's distant screams, the dog also turning towards the ruckus. Sly saw Mercury try his best, looking like he was fighting back, as he brought his hands up to his neck. The dog took his hands away as the machine came down for one last time.

Mercury's arms dropped to the floor, as lifeless as they could be. Sly rushed at the dog, his cane fueled by the most intense hatred he had ever felt. The dog flew against the wall, slumping down against it. Sly could barely manage his feelings, while looking at the guard, as his angry frown lifted. He looked down at Mercury, kneeling down beside his body.

Did this really just happen? Sly slapped his own cheek, hoping he was caught in a day dream. Sly's hand moved and hovered over Mercury's chest, shaking visibly. The machine was creaking, ready to ascend again. Sly was uncertain whether he wanted to see what was hidden beneath it, a gory picture shooting through his mind.

"*gasp* Help me!", _What the-_ Sly's heart jumped, as Mercury lifted his arms to his neck. The crusher lifted, revealing Mercury with the lucky charm around his neck. "Get this thing off me!", Sly quickly put his cane between the lucky charm and Mercury's neck, pulling it off of him. Sly grasped for Mercury's hand, moving him away and out of harms way. The relentless crusher came down, crushing the ball and charm at once.

Mercury was coughing heavily, grasping his neck. Sly stepped closer, wanting to help, as Mercury lifted a finger. "I'm okay, okay, just... need a moment -to calm down.", he turned with his hand still on his neck, eyeing the machine. Slowly relaxing from the ordeal, Mercury finally eyed Sly. "You scared me to death, you could have said something.", his eyes roamed over the worried raccoon, Mercury's attempt of laughing was consumed by another cough.

"Scared to death? I thought I was the one who came face to face with Mr. Crusher. Excuse me for getting a little shocked by death's kiss, leaving me unable to even breath.", Sly smiled at his illustration, putting a hand on his shoulder. Sly spotted some blood drip down onto his hand, seeing the wound on his ear. As he moved his hand closer, Mercury squirmed away.

"It's fine, really, let's just go.", Mercury embraced the wound, hiding it from further view. They still had to gain access to the city, so there was no time to waste, especially if there's more dogs on patrol. Sly strolled after the raccoon, setting his eyes on another set of box carts. Getting through them wasn't easy, the carts shaking at their every step. Yet, this probably was an easier task than getting through those guards.

With lasers, bottomless pits and guards at every corner, Mercury could tell this was going to be a long night. Getting through the carts wasn't as hard as they imagined, as Sly swung over a water pit inside one of the carts. He threw his cane back to Mercury, who caught it in both hands. "Told you before, but be careful with that!", _or what?_ Mercury smirked to himself, challenging Sly in his mind. Of course he would be careful with Sly's cane.

Hanging and swinging to the next hook, he felt Sly's gaze roaming him. His hoodie and shirt slightly lifted, revealing his abs, as his hands grasped around the cane over his head. "Never noticed you developed a slight definition.", Mercury stopped mid-air, his features changing to a soft red. One of his hands shot down to pull his shirt and hoodie down. His other hand struggled to keep a hold onto the cane. When he looked back to Sly he saw him shake his head, a grin plastered on his face.

He dropped down onto the shaking floor, throwing the cane back into Sly's hands. "That was meant as a compliment. People normally like getting those.", his eyes roamed, looking at anything and everything except Sly, trying to avoid his eyes. His gaze was set for the exit. _Thanks._ In the end Mercury hadn't realized the word never actually left his mouth, strolling past him and out of the box cart. Sly followed, a soft sigh escaping his lips.

Not so far away the key was stashed, Mercury able to see it just outside the cart. Next to it was another guard though, who already threw a set of cards, aiming right at him. Mercury was pushed down, as Sly hopped over his head, dashing forward and knocking the dog out cold. "You know, running around marked all red like that makes you an easy target. You oughta be careful.", his teasing didn't help in any way to solve his blush, only making him puff out some air at his commentary.

"And what do you think whose fault that was in the first place?", Sly chuckled, sticking his cane to his backpack, as he approached the key case. They stood in front of it, Sly smashing it open to grab hold of the key. With the key in hand they finally had entrance to the city. Sly turned to Mercury, slightly strained and still holding onto his ear.

"Come here, let me tie that up.", Sly sat down on a nearby rock. Mercury was about to protest, seeing Sly gesturing, almost ordering him to sit down in front of him. "It's only going to get worse. Don't worry, we're not wasting our time here. I need you at your full capacity, wouldn't you agree?", Mercury just sat down quietly, at first still squirming at his touch, but easing into it afterwards.

A slight wincing noise escaped Mercury's lips, Sly doing his best, as he brushed over the wound with some disinfectant as fast as he could. It was wiser to treat it now, as it might have otherwise gotten an infection, besides it didn't seem like the bleeding would have stopped any time soon. Sly was careful to apply and tie the bandage, not waning to put any pressure on him.

Mercury liked these moments. Yeah, it must sound weird, but he felt like he always shared some kind of special intimacy with Sly during those moments. When he cared for him like this. Now Mercury didn't go out hurting himself just to get Sly to fix him back up, but those moments always seemed to find his way back to him. His hand traveled over the bandage slowly, his gaze lifting towards Sly. "Now let's go catch ourselves a dog.", with the key in hand he unlocked the door, their entry marked with the heavy lock falling to the ground.

 **End of Chapter thirteen.**


	14. I Bought You ONE Too

**Sly Cooper and the Thievius Raccoonus  
(Yaoi Fan Fiction)**

 **For disclaimer : I do not own Sly Cooper or any of their Characters.**

 **Sly Cooper and the gang in: Sunset Snake Eyes**

After exiting the pipe the pair of raccoons laid their eyes upon a cluster of very big houses in the distance, one of which had to be Muggshot's hideout. Guards patrolled the area in front of what seemed to be a casino, as Mercury and Sly sneaked closer, eventually stopping after hearing a beeping Binocucom.

"This Muggshot certainly isn't shy. Okay, so we know he's here somewhere, but how are we supposed to find him? Mesa City is a big place.", Bentley was right, the town had quite a lot of space to offer to stay hidden. And with all the guards in play, it wouldn't be a walk in the park. "Given that he's a bull dog... it seems only reasonable to assume he'd choose to live in a giant fire hydrant.", he zoomed in on the middle building, showing the fire hydrant on top.

"That's some sound logic Sly. Now you just need a way to break into the building's base.", with the Binocucom he zoomed through the area, past the guards, as he landed on top of a car. The engine was still running, but it seemed to be locked away with a few locks. "Oh, I'm sure I'll think of something!", he put the Binocucom away. Sly was about to rush out and get a closer look at the car, as he felt a grasp on his shoulder stop him.

"Sly! Don't just rush in, we need to be careful.", eyeing Mercury, he turned, fixing his shirt. "I always have been, so what's the big deal?", Mercury's fingers turned Sly's head, showing him exactly what he was talking about. "See those dogs? They are carrying machine guns, Sly. Machine guns. It's going to leave a hell of a lot more than a simple scar. That's nothing like a deck of cards.", Sly saw Mercury rub softly over the wound on his cheek, eyeing the guards, before his eyes went back to Sly.

"Just be careful, alright?", _worried, are we?_ Sly smiled to himself, the way he seemed to worry so much was almost... cute. He grasped Mercury's hand, taking him with, as they sneaked in closer. Carefully so, as Mercury suggested. They hid behind some barrels, Sly beeping in to Bentley, waiting for him to show them the holographic markers.

As Bentley finished placing the markers, Sly checked them with his Binocucom to memorize their positions. He saw Mercury peeking around the barrel, his eyes following the guard. "What are you doing?", Mercury turned his head, confused why he would even ask such a question. "I thought you wanted my help, isn't that why you brought me along? What is Bentley's marker over there?", Sly was slightly surprised that he was standing strong like this.

"He didn't go into detail, just that Murray needs some help. He's got a shot at getting a key.", Mercury nodded, Sly stopping him before he could run off. "Just make sure I don't have to come running again.", Mercury frowned, his fist hitting Sly's shoulder, before he took off towards the marker. Sly knew he took it well, at least the smile on his lips, as he turned away, would let one assume so. A smile crept on his own lips, as Sly went for the other marker.

Mercury dropped down the last few steps off a ladder, landing on a wooden platform. A turret gun was mounted just in front of him. As he walked up closer, he could make out a familiar voice, a figure waving at him from the distance. _Murray?_ He waved back at his friend, hearing a beeping out of his pocket.

"Hello, is this thing on? I really should have changed the batteries... Mercury?", Mercury grasped the prototype, the turtle's picture quite blurry. "I was kind of expecting Sly, but he mentioned that you two had split up.", Bentley tried his best to make the connection any better, but without him being able to tweak on the prototype directly, it wouldn't make much of a difference.

"Why'd expect Sly? From what I can see so far, you only need me to give Murray some covering fire.", Mercury inspected the turret, flipping some switches, as he took a hold of the gun. "It's nothing just- Sly probably has more experience with... you know.", he is right, Sly was accustomed to fighting and getting good results out of it. Mercury had it down in theory, but was lacking... he didn't know what he was lacking exactly...

"Don't worry Bentley, I'll take care of Murray. I might not have Sly's experience, but I'll show you mine.", as great as that sounded, he'd really have to give it his best. He spent so long on the shooting range, so he must have learned some things, right? "Alright, Murray. I'll do my best!", he took aim of the gate blocking him off, shooting it to bits. As the gate crumbled and burned away, Murray signaled a thumbs up, as he went through.

Mercury followed the hippo closely, watching him through the crosshair. Murray walked past a set of garages, turning as he heard a weird noise come from inside. They suddenly burst open, guard rushing through, almost causing him a heart attack. Mercury took aim of them, seeing Murray cowering to the ground. He hesitated, unable to pull the trigger - _why now!?_ The guards were standing right on top of Murray, preparing their bats for a set of heavy blows. He could see the hippo, he could see his scared features, tears forming in Murray's eyes.

A scream echoed out of the raccoon, squeezing the trigger with all his might. The guards fell, leaving Murray unharmed. It would have been worth relief, but Mercury was feeling a heavy pressure residing in his lungs. He concentrated his breathing, hoping to subdue the effect, otherwise he might hyperventilate. Was he really ready for this? Not that there was a way back at this point.

Mercury felt his finger twitch on the trigger, he hoped there were no more guards, spotting Murray tread through the grounds with fast steps. _Foolish hippo, how could you trust me with this!? I'm not ready!_ He couldn't help it, his mind went off on its own. Another row of guard popped out of a garage, followed by another, ambushing him from behind the box cart he walked through.

Mercury squirmed, unable to get himself to pull the trigger. His breathing rapid, his mind unsteady. With tears in his eyes, he watched the hippo, slowly becoming surrounded. It all went so slow in his head. Was he really about to let one of his friends die? Just because he is unable to pull a simple trigger? But it wasn't simply a trigger. It was a trigger which took a life. He pulled it once and he was already overwhelmed. But his friend's life was one of the most valuable things he had left...

He was out of time... -he had to do something... anything. Yet, all he could was watch with tears in his eyes. Suddenly he felt a heavy force push him, knocking him off his feet and to the side. He recovered himself, seating up and looking at the creature next to him. The most noticeable feature of the creature were its stripes. _Sly!?_ His eyes looked up at another raccoon, where they met a gaze of resent and a dark frown on his face. He took the gun in his hands, saving Murray from the onslaught, just in time, too.

Now Mercury was the one cowering on the ground, lowering his head, each shot of the gun making him flinch. Each shot making him hold his ears shut tight. Each shot making him feel guilty that he couldn't do it. Each shot making the tears trailing down his face, during that time, leave an even bigger impact on him. The shots continued and didn't seem to stop at all, until he heard the hippo cheer, grasping for the key so close to his hands.

Mercury's head lifted slowly, the shooting stopped and the gun was left hanging in its hinges. The other raccoon was nowhere to be seen... Mercury grasped at the ledge, pulling himself up to look over and view Murray in the distance. "Nice shooting, Mercury.", _no... that was-_ "But I have to admit that you scared me when you stopped shooting there for a moment...", _exactly, that wasn't me Murray! It was Sly... but how?_

Mercury slowly stood up, troubled with several questions. There was so much to take in. His friend almost died and he was too scared to act. Then out of nowhere... when did he show up and how did he do it so fast? At the same time he vanished like it was nothing... and how could he possibly know they needed help? "A-are you alright Murray? You're not hurt?", Mercury felt slightly unsteady on his own feet. He felt his legs still shaking, but at least his breathing and pulse had relaxed -somewhat.

"Yeah -but hey, I, uhm, I think it kind of hurt when you called me foolish. And of course I would trust you, you're my friend!", Mercury couldn't believe it, his mouth agape. Did he say all of that out loud? "I-I'm so sorry, Murray. I never wanted to say that to you, I swear. I'll make it up to you, promise.", what the hell was going on. Mercury stood there with a palm on his forehead. Just what the hell was going on?

"I'm just glad Sly showed up and saved you...", the raccoon heard a slight questioning humming over the Binocucom. "I don't know what you're talking about, I didn't see Sly around at all.", things were getting weirder and weirder for Mercury, as he slumped back to the ground. _He wasn't here at all?_ Mercury shook his head a few times, merely able to pick up some of Murray words, whether he was okay or not.

"I... -don't worry, Murray. I'm okay. I'm just feeling a little dizzy, that is all. I would like to ask you something though. Maybe we can meet up?", Murray seemed to like the idea, a happy cheering transmitted over his Binocucom. "I saw the perfect place for that! There is a hot dog stand close by, I'll come pick you up and we'll drive over there!", Mercury gave his best attempt at a chuckle, grasping his Binocucom. "I guess I could go for something hot right about now... -but please, spare me any more dogs."

Mercury shut the door closed behind him, as he jumped out of the gang's van. He stretched quickly, before the hippo showed up behind him. "Alright, Bentley just wants some fries. You sure you don't want a hot dog? I'm starving! I feel like I am about to only leave behind bones.", what he liked most about Murray was his way of being so genuine, it felt so unique. A smile slowly broadened on Mercury's lips, shaking his head at Murray.

"I'm not really hungry right now. But I still needed to ask you something.", Mercury casually strolled towards the hot dog stand, stepping besides the hippo. Murray, as always carefree, tread slowly, his form shaking gracefully with every step. Murray waited for him to speak up, seeing him stare at the ground while walking, a troublesome look on his face.

"Are you sure you don't want to eat something? You look pale, Mercury.", Murray voiced his worry to him, getting the raccoon to look up towards him. He slowly grasped over his forehead, a smile returning on his features. "I'm okay, but thanks Murray. Could you tell me what you saw back there? During that moment when I stopped shooting... what could you see?", a finger went to Murray's temple, scratching at it softly.

"You really don't remember? You seemed to have lost grip on the gun for a moment, but I knew I could trust you, so I stayed out of your aim and waited. After a moment you got back on it and saved me. After you were done you seemed exhausted, I could only see you sit down.", Murray's eyes rolled around in thought. "That's it, I don't remember anything else, really.", Murray shrugged, leaning on the hot dog stand's counter.

Mercury tried to get a grasp on what exactly happened. Had he simply been hallucinating the things he saw back there? The face of resentment and that frown on Sly's features didn't leave his head. It felt, too, real. How could he have hallucinated that? Murray walked Mercury back to a table close by, holding about eight hot dogs in his hands.

"You really sure you don't want ONE? I bought you ONE, too. I'm really okay with you eating ONE, if you want it.", Mercury was kind of distracted , only catching the way he emphasized the one over and over again. When his confused face met with Murray's, Mercury saw him scratch over his neck, looking like he was struggling with something. "Alright, you can have TWO. Oh, I forgot the mustard.", Murray walked away, leaving Mercury with a smile on his face.

Mercury didn't feel hungry, at least he couldn't truly tell, if he was or not. Sitting back down, Murray covered each hot dog with a mixture of ketchup and mustard. "Aww, I also forgot to grab some napkins.", Mercury didn't truly notice Murray disappear, uttering out softly in his own thoughts. There couldn't be two Sly's, so that wasn't an option. But the one he knew couldn't have possibly reached them in time- _smells good..._ -he should contact Sly himself, maybe he could help out.

Mercury was contemplating whether he should ask Sly or not, because it seemed kind of weird to ask him, if he suddenly had a twin- _...tastes good too..._ -Mercury worked his brain, his hands caught in an act of their own, unknown to Mercury. It's decided, he had to ask Sly. If he truly wants to know, Sly was the only one who could clarify his suspicion. Murray sat down next to him, his lips twitching slightly, as he looked at Mercury.

"Are you feeling any better?", Mercury was awakened out of his trance, a hand holding his mouth shut, the sides of his mouth feeling a little sticky. Without realizing, he ate hot dog after hot dog. "Oh, oh no, I'm sorry Murray. God it feels like that's the only thing I can say to you today. No, no more. I feel better now, so lets get you some more of those hot dogs, alright?", Mercury grabbed Murray's hand, leading him back to the stand's counter.

On the way over he tried to contact Sly, but was unable to get a connection. He wasn't sure whether this prototype was finally done for, or... "Mercury?", he turned at the call, spotting Bentley walk closer, and closer until he could hide behind him. Mercury looked down at the turtle hiding behind his legs, holding up his laptop. "Bentley are you still there? You said it was urgent. I have some flea bags to deal with, so make it quick.", it was Sly, _so that's why._ Bentley tapped Mercury's leg, pointing him towards Murray.

The poor hippo was suddenly surrounded by a mass of dogs. "They just suddenly came up to the van and started asking questions, I got scared and made a run for you guys. They seem to be street racers. I contacted Sly, hoping he could help.", slight huffing could be heard over Bentley's laptop. "I'm in the middle of something, just try to stay out of trouble and I'll be there soon.", it was too late for that. Trouble had found them.

Mercury looked at the racer dogs, picking on Murray in the middle of them. It took a moment for him to take a closer look at the dogs, feeling like his eyes are playing tricks on him. One of the guards looked exactly like Sly, staring back at him, his head bending slightly and gesturing to get to Murray. Mercury closed his eyes for a second, rubbing over them, his eyes reopened to find the guy in the row of dogs was gone.

"We can't possibly get Murray away from those dogs, just look at them.", it was true that there were a lot of them, Mercury lifting his gaze from the turtle to look back at the hippo. Still... he couldn't sit around, not when they are picking on his friend. His hands suddenly curled up to fists, turning to Bentley. "We'll need to talk later, Sly.", with that he slammed the laptop shut, stepping over towards Murray. Bentley looked for a spot behind a table, taking it as his new hiding space.

If Bentley didn't see it with his own eyes, he wouldn't have believed it. "Hey, get off and stop picking on him. That guy is my friend.", a dog had his arm laid around Murray, resting on his shoulder. Murray was obviously frightened, but was slightly relieved to see Mercury come to his aid. "We're just talkin' no harm done. Interested in his little vehicle there, but turns out he aint a real racer now, aint he?", what, was this all about a race?

"What are you talking about?", the dog let go of Murray's shoulder, the other dogs chuckling slightly, letting their boss pass through them. "We're just out for a little fun, saw that ride and thought- 'Let's see if there's a guy worthy of a race'. Turned out to be this fella, like I said, aint much of a challenger now, is he?", the dog circled around Mercury, the raccoon following him with his head.

A smile crossed Mercury's lips, Murray surprised to see his expression. "You're looking at the best racer out there. He'd leave you guys in the dust, if it came to a race.", the dog stopped in his tracks, bending down to Mercury, facing him head on. The boss started laughing loudly, seeing the sure grin on Mercury's face. "Well boys, we might have a challenger here after all, if this small guy can be trusted that is.", Mercury was glad he could divert their attention off of Murray, if all they had to do was go against them in a race, it was worth the hassle.

"What's in it for the winner?", might as well push some buttons and check out the stakes, Mercury turning to the boss. The dog smiled back almost viciously. "The boys and I have been racing constantly over who gets to keep a look over this key here.", _a key?!_ Mercury eyed Murray shortly, seeing they had the same thought, bringing his attention back to the dog boss.

"If you can win you can keep it as a loving memory. Not that you stand a chance of winning. This is our home turf. But hey... what do you say?", he held out his hand, waiting for Mercury to accept the offer of the race. Mercury took a glimpse at Murray, winking at him, as he brought his hand to the dogs. The band of dogs started laughing and howling at the agreement, some already taking off to their cars.

As the last ones set out for their cars, Murray was free and happy to be at Mercury's side. "Thanks, it really feels like you saved my life there, buddy. But I don't know whether I can do this. A street race sounds really hard to me.", Murray let his head fall, his chin meeting his chest. Mercury didn't leave him any time to sulk, softly pushing his head back up, lifting his chin to a proud position. "Don't worry, Murray. You believed in me, I've got all the reasons to believe in you. Now let's go take on some racer dogs, eh?", Mercury saw Murray's eyes light up, determination having struck his senses, as he nodded and the two ran for his van.

Bentley watched the duo prepare the van, driving over and lining up with the others at the start. Several minutes had passed, as Bentley saw a familiar set of stripes walk through the hot dog stand's space. "Sly, over here!", even though he tried to say it loudly, it still came out as somewhat of a whisper. Sly turned to find Bentley, hunched underneath a table, his laptop in front of him.

"Hey, what's going on?", Bentley slowly moved out of his hiding space, gesturing Sly to come closer. "Mercury went over to help Murray, that's when they challenged them to a race. I can't believe they actually accepted.", Sly stared at the cars lined up for the race, counting a lot of dogs. He couldn't believe that Mercury worked up the courage to get between so many dogs to help Murray, leaving him quite impressed.

"They mentioned there's a key in it for the winner.", Bentley adjusted his glasses, seeing Sly's eyes suddenly widen. "You sure? The same kind of key we need?", the turtle nodded, it were Muggshot's underlings after all. That key would be the last they need, with that they would gain entrance to the casino and be a shot closer to Muggshot. Sly scratched at his chin for a second, eyeing the duo inside their gang's van. Sly looked back at Bentley, a smile on his lips, "Come on, Bentley, let's go cheer'em on."

"Alright, Murray, this street race is going to be a little different than I imagined. After listening to the boss, I could grasp that there's going to be a bit of an extra to this race.", the hippo looked at him through the back mirror, gulping, as he stared back out the front window. "There's no definition of dirty in this race, so we shouldn't feel bad for hitting back. Alright, big guy? Also there's some cans of nitrogen on the track. We can use those for some more horse power. You can leave that to me."

Mercury sighed softly, breathing in deeply, as he walked up behind Murray. He gasped slightly, at Mercury's touch on his shoulder. "We got this, big guy.", with his touch, Murray felt a lot better, able to relax to a calmer level. The race was about to start, the dogs now all in their cars. Mercury stretched out behind the van, Murray watching him through the side mirror. He hopped on the back, holding onto the van's side. Mercury gave him a thumbs up, he was ready to roll.

Each car honked once, signaling they're ready. A dog outside the race walked to his own car. The third honk of his car was the start sign. Mercury looked around the other cars, seeing some scary smiles coming his way, layered with a set of chuckling. The second honk went off, the engines roaring loudly. Mercury inhaled deeply, his eyes meeting Murray's in the mirror. The last honk came, all cars springing into motion, as they buzzed off.

Mercury was unable to even see some of them, clearly having fueled some of the nitrogen before hand. But they wouldn't give up, not yet. Murray drove carefully at first, creeping up on the fourth car. Mercury got close to the van, as they slowly went by. The weird thing was, they seemed to smile as they went past. Mercury felt something fishy going on, seeing the car in front line up with them.

It suddenly became a much more bumpy ride, as the two cars locked their van between them, effectively sandwiching them. Mercury held onto the side as best as he could, but they'd have to get rid of these guys, otherwise they would not be able to win... there had to be something they could- Mercury's eyes laid upon the car in the back. They still had some nitrogen stored, maybe if he could get his hands on it...

Mercury closed his eyes and prayed, he couldn't believe he was going to do this. He let go, dropping on the car in the back. Mercury's eyes looked back at the track, seeing what their intention was. They planned on ramming them into the side lines. Mercury grasped for the nitrogen on the car's back, suddenly ensnared by something. With the nitrogen in hand he looked down, seeing one of the dog's hands on his ankle.

They came close to the side lines, Mercury curled up, rolling forward onto the hood of the car, breaking through the dog's grip. Quickly he jumped back on their van, opening the cap to the fuel storage. His eyes changed quickly between the upcoming end of the line and him opening the filler cap. With the bumping ride it wasn't quite easy to pour in the nitrogen, spilling some on his clothes.

"Hit it, Murray!", suddenly their van took off in an amazing speed, pushing the car in front of them around. It twisted, hitting into the car on their back, both cars spinning out, eliminating them from the race. Mercury saluted back at them, as they took off. The two cars still in the race already entered the second lap. Mercury saw Murray grow bolder, holding down the pedals, taking shorter corners.

He smiled in the mirror, hitting the van's side, gesturing towards the next car in front of them. One dog was sitting on the side, some nitrogen in hand. As safely- and sneakily as they could, with a van that is, they crept up to them, Mercury grasping the supply of nitrogen out of the dog's hands. Mercury ducked under his attempt to grasp him and pull him over, hitting upwards with the can of fuel. He quickly leant down, attaching a seat belt on the knocked out dog. "Safety first.", the other dog couldn't do much, seeing Mercury back away, a smile on his lips.

With half the rations of nitrogen they entered the last lap in style, rushing past a loudly cheering Sly. That only seemed to fuel Murray further, pushing down on the pedals hard. The last car was in sight, just a few corners away from the finish. The boss of the dogs was so sure of their victory, he was literally swinging the key around in his paw.

"Murray!", he nodded back at Mercury through the mirror. He poured in the last of the nitrogen, the van gaining incredible speed once more. Mercury crouched down slightly, aligning himself with the boss. They came closer and closer, the dog slowly turned his head at the sound of a car speeding behind them. The second he turned, Mercury grasped the key out of his hand, exchanging a bright smile with him, the dog looking back with shock.

They finished, crossing the line in first place. Mercury threw his fist in the air, looking back at the rest of cars slowly settling in at the finish line. Murray drove the van further, around and into the hot dog stand's parking area. Mercury and Murray drove towards Sly and Bentley, both still excited from the race. So excited, Mercury didn't notice all the oil spilled on him, one speck smeared on his face. Sly thought it didn't matter, they earned themselves the victory celebration.

 **End of Chapter fourteen.**


	15. Explosions Of Sparkling Love

**Sly Cooper and the Thievius Raccoonus  
(Yaoi Fan Fiction)**

 **For disclaimer : I do not own Sly Cooper or any of their Characters.**

 **Sly Cooper and the gang in: Sunset Snake Eyes**

 **(Oh, by the way , I can't be the only one thinking that the race was one of the hardest missions back then, right? Probably gave me the most trouble. Well that, and that weird chicken level in Miss Ruby's domain. :P )**

Murray turned off the engine, leaning back in the driver's seat. Mercury hopped off the van, slowly walking towards the driver's window, packing the key into his pocket. He knocked on Murray's window, as he opened the door and exited the vehicle. "You were awesome, Murray.", Mercury threw his arms around the hippo, hugging him tightly, smiling as he heard his tummy grumble.

"That was fun, thanks for backing me up. But right now I'm hungry, -starving...", Murray's eyes were locked onto the hot dog stand, saliva gushing out of his mouth. Mercury chuckled, sending the hippo forward. "I guess I still owe you for those hot dogs, go ahead and wait at the stand, big guy.", Murray nodded happily, rushing ahead. He quickly nodded at the guys, unable to control his hunger though, skipping past them.

Sly smiled after his hippo friend, turning back to Mercury, who slowly walked over to Bentley and him. He didn't say anything, just quickly lunging himself at Bentley and Sly, hugging them, before he let go to look at them. "Thanks for the cheering, I could tell Murray really liked that.", Sly eyed him up and down, feeling kind of speechless himself. So only Murray enjoyed it? That seemed kind of different to Sly.

"To me it seemed like you were both enjoying yourselves.", Sly saw the raccoon's lips rise, he couldn't deny that he had enjoyed it. "Well now that that is over, we can finally get into Muggshot's casino. I suggest we rest up shortly and prepare for whatever is inside. And I just remembered, that I forgot to remind Murray to not order any ketchup with those fries.", the turtle walked past the two, following the hippo's tracks.

Sly noticed Mercury rummaging his pockets, presenting him two keys. "One is from Murray's run earlier and that one is from the monster show you just witnessed. Here ya go.", the raccoon dropped the keys into Sly's hands, the smile not leaving his lips. "You both did great out there. You guys were on fire-", Mercury saw Sly cock his head slightly, coming closer, as he softly wiped his sleeve over his face.

"...figuratively, of course.", Sly's head went back slightly, seeing if he got all the oil. He wondered if he had rubbed too harshly, spotting a smaller red coloration on Mercury's cheeks, the other raccoon feeling over them himself. His smile grew brighter, staring back at Sly. "Thanks. Glad to be of help.", the two started wandering after their gang members, as Mercury felt someone tap on his shoulder.

"Hey, you two, wait up.", the raccoons turned to the gang of racing dogs, their boss standing immediately in front of them. There was a slight worry building in Sly, leaving him even more surprised, as Mercury simply went forward. "How's your gang, are they feeling alright? We really didn't mean to hurt any of your guys.", Mercury smiled through the ranks, waving apologetically at the dog he hit with the jerrycan a while back.

"And that was extreme fun, a real killer race.", Mercury closed his eyes and smiled brightly at the boss, extending his fist at him, gesturing for a fist bump. He heard him step closer, reopening his eyes, as he looked up at him. The dog snorted, causing Mercury to cock his head. Yet, he started smiling, bumping his fist. "My guys will live, we're tough after all. And yeah, it was fun. It's been quite some time, since there was a bunch like you two around. Like I promised, you can have the key as a keepsake."

The dog was quite surprised, that he actually seemed to care about their well being. "Maybe we can go for a rematch?", he saw the raccoon smile up at him, turning to the other guy behind him. "Tonight we're kind of on a tight schedule. Maybe some other time.", the dog shrugged his shoulders, almost sad that they didn't have more time to play. "You know where to find us.", the dogs got in their cars, driving of one by one, as Mercury waved them off.

"Nice fellows, eh?", yeah, real charmers, Sly thought, as he saw Mercury turn back to him. "Bentley said you got in between that whole mass of dogs and Murray. I have to admit, that's quite impressive.", he followed Sly's footsteps, as they slowly made their way to the stand. "I didn't want to leave Murray by himself there... -I guess I did it, because I knew he'd be happy, once he was out of that dog circle.", Mercury eyed him closely, waiting for his reaction. Sly smiled back at him, sounds like he is starting to learn his lesson.

Mercury himself wondered, during that moment of eye contact, if he really was though. Was that truly only because of what Sly said to him? Or was it because of that weird Sly clone he spotted twice already. _Oh right-_ ...he just remembered he still needed to ask Sly about that. "You mentioned we would talk later, right? Was that only out of the blue or did you have a question?", it was almost scary, like Sly could read his mind or something.

"By the way, I couldn't believe you hung up on me.", Sly shot back a quick look, catching a smile on Mercury's face. "My bad, but it was time for action, there was no time for jabber.", Sly turned back, while he kept walking slowly. "So talking to me is just jabbering to you?", Sly's lips lifted in a smile, revealing his teeth to the other raccoon. Sly loved teasing Mercury, he always seemed so pressured afterwards. He saw his face flush in a soft red. Maybe one day he'd dare to strike back. One day.

"I guess Bentley kind of confirmed it for me, but the thing was, Sly- you didn't leave that casino you went to early, did you? You were there the whole time, I reckon?", Sly stared at him with a questioning frown, shrugging his shoulders a little later. "Yeah, I was there from beginning to end. Why?", the raccoon saw Mercury scratch over his chin, wondering why he asked in the first place.

He shook his head at Sly, waving his hands. "No real reason, I just- OH NO!", _what now?!_ Sly eyed Mercury, his shock becoming more evident by the second. "I left Murray in charge of my wallet!", _oh._ Sly saw him rush to the stand, throwing his hands around the hippo, who was already walking to a nearby table, about twenty hot dogs stacked in his arms. Sly chuckled at the fiasco playing itself in front of him, as he walked over to his friends.

He sat down with them, Mercury's head laid down on the table, sulking and obviously crying on it. "Sly you want something to eat, too? Mercury gave me some money for hot dogs and Bentley's fries. I'm sure he'd buy you something, too!", Sly smiled at the hippo, his eyes traveling over to the raccoon, tears trailing down his face. He turned his wallet upside down, nothing coming out of it, only the sound of some coins inside remaining.

"I think I'm good, Murray.", Sly stopped his laughter through the palm of his hand. "Thanks again, Mercury.", the raccoon let out some soft sounds, raising his hand and giving the hippo a thumbs up. After striking it up and talking about Sly's trip in one of the side casino's and Murray's run for the key, they felt rested up, Mercury having recovered from his economic crisis- somewhat at least. The raccoons set out towards the front of Muggshot's blocked off casino.

They watched from a distance, waiting for the patrolling guards to finish their run. Once the coast was clear, Sly moved closer, keys in hand. "So what is your plan with these anyway?", Sly was just gesturing to stand back slightly, letting the heavy locks hit the ground. Putting in the last key, he stood back himself, watching the lock fall.

Both raccoons got ready for whatever was about to happen, feeling disappointed, as time went on and nothing happened. What was his plan exactly? The cars engine was running, tires spinning and that's great, but they couldn't do anything, if that car jack doesn't move one bit. "Unlocking didn't do the trick, now what?", Mercury tapped Sly's shoulder, the guards would make for another round soon.

Sly went closer to the car again, inspecting the car jack. Well, he had hoped, like Mercury mentioned, that unlocking it would be enough, but since that wasn't the case... Mercury came closer to Sly, ready to grab and haul him back behind some barrels. At this point it was better to hope they don't see the locks and go hide. He was about to grab his shoulder, as Sly reached back for a hard whack, the car jack collapsing under the car's weight.

The tires suddenly got a grip, running in reverse and crashed into the casino's front. Both raccoons held their ears shut, the car alarm sounding loud and clear in the area. "What kind of plan is this? I thought as a thief you'd know silence is a virtue, Sly.", true, but sometimes raw power can help a lot. He grasped one of the hands which covered Mercury's ears, leading him through the broken entrance and into Muggshot's hideout.

Careful not to step into any broken glass or nails, flung around as the car hit the boarded up entrance, they made it inside. They were welcome by a soft carpet, leading up some stairs straight into Muggshot's, well... mug. The soft steps on the carpet were welcome for a change. They walked forth and took a look around the entirety of the main hall, already spotting some of Bentley's markers. They heard the beeping, the turtle probably eager to tell them about the next set of keys.

Before answering the Binocucom, they walked closer to the top, up the stairs towards Muggshot's face. "Would you look at that ugly mug?", Bentley didn't ask for the close up, but spotted something weird as he viewed it through Sly's Binocucom. "I am, and I find it infinitely fascinating.", both raccoons suddenly looked up at each other, before staring back at the face, "Huh?"

Bentley reckoned some explaining was at order, "My x-ray detection devices reveal that a secret elevator to Muggshot's penthouse is contained within that giant head.", it seemed plausible, especially since no one would dare to enter something so creepily disturbing. "So how do we get in?", yeah... not like they had a choice. Sly followed Bentley's directional ping, zooming in on some boarded up wall, locked with several keys.

"Behind this locked wall, there's a lever that summons the elevator. But you need all seven keys to open it up.", Sly looked over at Mercury, who quickly nodded. "We're on it!", the two raccoons went their separate ways, Sly watching Mercury momentarily, as he sneaked past a guard. Sly wondered, if he would get to see that smile again. That smile Mercury showed him, as he dropped those keys into his hands.

It felt so warm. Sly noticed the smile that occupied his own lips, stepping forward through the marker. It had merely been a few steps, as his Binocucom suddenly started beeping. Sly grasped it, expecting Bentley asking whether they can leave yet, so of course he was surprised when Mercury spoke up. "Sly, we've got a problem.", he frowned at vague statement. "Go on...", he could tell Mercury barely dared talking. Almost like he was hiding from something or someone.

"It's officer Fox. I don't think she saw me just yet, but I can't leave the roof anymore!", Sly's ears peeked up at ms. Fox's name, a smile once more on his lips. "I'll be right there- don't move.", he understood that their situation wasn't that preferable with her right at the door step, but he still couldn't deny the need and desire to see her again.

When he showed up to the scene, he saw Mercury hiding behind a chimney, officer Fox prowling in the distance. It didn't seem like she noticed him yet, so he used the chance to get closer to Mercury. "Sly! Bentley said there's a key this way, near Muggshot's penthouse. But with officer Fox around I didn't know what else to do...", he stepped closer, attempting to calm him down. Sly would take care of it, he was definitely used to dealing with the police force.

"Just go take over where I left, I'll deal with Carmelita.", the raccoon noticed the smug grin on Sly's face. Something in that smile got to him, as he just kept staring at Sly, not moving a bit. After a moment Sly noticed, his gaze falling back to Mercury. "You alright?", his smile vanished, Mercury noticing worry spreading in Sly. "Yes, uhm, yeah. Yeah, I' okay. Have fun Sly.", the smile reappeared on his lips, softly pushing Mercury towards the exit.

Before he could move though, they turned at the sound of something hitting a nearby surface with a loud thud. "Well, well, well... look who just walked into my crosshairs... Sly Cooper-... and I reckon he belongs to you?", she took a moment to look at the other raccoons features, the hard gulp he took making it evident they were caught red handed.

Sly put on his best smile, stepping in front of Mercury. "About time you showed up, ms. Fox. Was getting worried about you. Thought you took a wrong turn somewhere back in Paris.", Mercury watched Sly's hand, gesturing him to slowly step back. "The only one making wrong turns is you, Sly. I'd suggest you surrender before I paralyze you with my good friend, the shock pistol.", she checked the chamber, making sure the gun was loaded and ready, as she aimed at the pair of raccoons.

Mercury took easy and almost unnoticeable steps back, eyeing the officer and Sly closely. "Now see, a girl whose best friend's a firearm's got issues. A little dinner, a little dancing and I think I can help you out.", the fox snorted at him, thankfully not noticing the slowly disappearing Mercury. "Mmm. Sounds romantic. As long as you don't mind dining... in jail!", why must dating always be so complicated?

"Nah, I hear the service is lousy.", the fox and raccoon turned, as Mercury tripped over some bricks, sending them flying off the roof. He just smiled back at Sly, quickly pointing at officer Fox. "Once I catch you, you'll know for yourselves!", she discharged her gun, a big electric shot flying at the raccoon's roof. Mercury jumped for safety, landing back on the roof, leading back towards the entrance.

Carmelita bit her lip, she'd have to settle with one of the two for now. Her gaze trailed back to the charming smile of Sly, winking at her. Mercury climbed his way back, hearing several more electric shots fired from afar. Mercury could tell... -the sparks were flying in their relationship. He entered Sly's former holographic marker, a long backalley lying before him. From this distance he couldn't hear anymore shots, so he simply hoped that Sly was doing alright.

Sly flung towards a pole, gliding it down towards a balcony. Officer Fox seemed extra fueled tonight. Maybe knowing there was more to catch out her than Sly actually got her all worked up. At least the inside gave him some cover from the unending rounds of electricity. He smashed through some dogs, leaving Bentley to work out the code for a safe he just found.

Sly sensed Carmelita close by, he'd just have to get the safe on his way back. He kept moving, the chandelier light he was on suddenly sparking, as another electric shot hit the wall close to him. Carmelita had him in her sights, at least in Sly's mind that was all she could think of. Instead Carmelita had hoped he would jump from the chandelier to a point where he can no longer run, so she can just cuff him up already.

The two ascended in their dance of jumping and shooting, spiraling all the way back to the rooftops. Sly made his way across wooden platforms, still under construction, as they trembled with every step. Of course Carmelita's shock pistol didn't help, as the beams which supported the platform crumbled and fell.

Sly could see the key case just in front of him, spotting Carmelita jump and land on something resembling Muggshot in balloon form. He noticed a rope connecting it to the key case, as he destroyed it with a sure-enough grin, setting free the rope. Carmelita stumbled, looking at Sly, _damn that raccoon._ "I'm going to hunt you down Cooper. You can't run forever.", she just waved her fist, ascending with the balloon.

Sly waved back, afterwards turning his attention to the key. He grabbed it and safely made his way back to the safe. With a key and another page of the Thievius Raccoonus in his possession, he reentered Muggshot's casino. He attempted to call Mercury, to see how it was going, but there was no connection at all. Slight unease spread, as his feet already took him towards the marker. There was no need for it though, as he stepped out, just as Sly stopped in front of the door to the backalley.

"You didn't pick up your Binocucom, got me all worried.", the raccoon stepped out of and through the door, mirroring Sly's smile. He held up the Binocucom, rattling it slightly. "I guess the batteries finally gave in. Might have to ask Bentley for a change.", there it was! Sly felt a warmth hit him, as the raccoon presented him with a smile, dropping a page of his family heirloom into his hands.

"How was your meeting with ms. Fox? Oh and this one could be quite useful. Bentley explained it provides, ehm- right, Suzanne Cooper's water safety. Might save your ass from drowning for once-", Sly's eyes shot up to the raccoon's. Very slowly it dawned upon Mercury, that he just said the last few words out loud. Mercury's hand slowly covered his mouth, locking his widened eyes with Sly's.

 _Did I actually say that?_ Sly gave him a surprised, yet amazed look, his mouth agape with a soft smile covering his lips. Mercury turned away, his hands shielding him from Sly's gaze. _Kill me, right now._ Mercury had no idea what just happened, as the words slipped out from seemingly nowhere. _Just find me a shovel, I'll do the rest myself._ While one hand focused on keeping Sly's eyes at bay, the other just hid his face in its palm.

Mercury pressured his mind, at least he should go for some damage control... he took a quick glimpse at Sly, who didn't move a single muscle, mouth still agape, the grin staying strong. "I-uhm, I didn't mean- I'm sorry.", by now his face was flushed, barely able to form a sentence. His head slightly turned at the sound of Sly's footsteps. The hand on his face lowered to his elbow, one still trying to shield him from the other raccoon.

Mercury couldn't tell what Sly was planning, standing right beside him. He suddenly saw him bend down slightly and pop into his view, leaning on his cane to get a clear shot of Mercury's face. His lips formed a smug grin, as seconds later he bursted out laughing. Mercury averted his eyes, unable to turn away anymore, as it would only make it worse.

The soft touch of Sly's hands surrounding his cheeks completely surprised him, now staring right into his beautiful brown eyes. Not like it could get any worse. He was already red like a tomato and just inches away from his face. "You know, when you plan on teasing someone for something, you should always keep eye contact. How else will you know that it's working?", Sly followed his eyes, he could tell Mercury was trying his best, but couldn't keep the contact for very long.

"Like- save MY ass from drowning for once? Do I have to remind you, that you're the one who almost drowned in a puddle once?", Sly could feel Mercury's head trying to escape his hands. "See what I mean? Works like a charm.", Mercury closed his eyes, biting his lip, as he brushed Sly's hands off. Sly saw him turn around, his back now facing him.

"Oh right, Carmelita-... It was as usual, a lot of drama, explosions of sparkling love. She is clearly obsessed with me.", Sly saw the raccoon clench his hands. Sly's playful smile slowly diminished, fearing he had overdone it. He cleared his throat loudly, his eyes still on the raccoon's hands. "Laid on too thick?", Sly stepped closer to the raccoon, slowly turning him again.

The red on his face had now almost vanished, his eyes hanging low. "No pleasant memories of that puddle-day, huh?", Mercury shook his head at him. "That's not it, I've got several pleasant ones in mind- that, and you saving me from the puddle makes up for it.", Sly saw the raccoon smiling softly again, at least he was getting somewhere.

He still had a long way to go, until he would be able to tease back accordingly, but that growing smile was a good start. Sly saw him twiddling with the key. Mercury's gaze fell slightly, his fingers trailing over the key. The raccoon raised his hands, ready to drop the key into Sly's hands, as he lifted his gaze, meeting Sly's eyes.

Sly was struck by a fairly different smile than before, at least it felt different, the true warmth inside was gone. The raccoon's hands lowered the key into his, his hands slowly leaving the key. "I think the obsession runs on both sides, Sly.", his eyes followed Mercury, as he slowly made his way towards the last marker. Sly definitely didn't expect his teasing would take such a toll on Mercury.

Sly wandered after his friend, getting the usual glimpse backwards every now and then. Mercury awaited him at the last marker, ready to climb through the elevator shaft and ascend to the roof. Sly grasped his hand, as Mercury pulled him up towards the entrance. The two raccoons ascended the elevator shaft, making sure to not look down.

 **End of Chapter fifteen.**


	16. Seeing Double

**Sly Cooper and the Thievius Raccoonus  
(Yaoi Fan Fiction)**

 **For disclaimer : I do not own Sly Cooper or any of their Characters.**

 **Sly Cooper and the gang in: Sunset Snake Eyes**

Mercury's hands carefully grasped for the metal bars. The idea of looking down wasn't fully welcome, but he just had to, especially since he could tell Sly's eyes were lingering on him for the entirety of their climb. "If you've got something to say, then say it.", the raccoon stopped his climbing motion, looking back at Sly. He could tell he tore Sly from his thoughts, as he was biting his thumb, looking hot as hell mind you.

"Listen, I'm sorry for making fun of you with that puddle thing.", Mercury tightened his grip, making sure he had a safe grasp on the metal, before turning to Sly. His questioning frown came with a soft smile, as he looked down at his friend. "Are you really still caught on that? I told you, it's fine. That's not why- well, I don't know.", there wasn't anything to explain, and he had hoped Sly had already gone past it at this point.

"But it obviously troubled you.", _troubled?_ Mercury frowned once more. "What makes you think it troubled me?", Sly looked back at him with uncertainty. Sly was sure it troubled him, seeing him clench his hands to fists and then that smile... - "Well, your smile- it felt different...", Mercury's mouth opened slightly, a small puff of air escaping his lips, masking his laughter.

"So you think I was troubled, because my smile felt different to you? Really?", It was nothing to break a sweat about, but Mercury didn't think it was that obvious. Of course he felt something, but it couldn't be described as troubled. Besides- he didn't expect that Sly really could tell by his smile alone. Sly shrugged his shoulder, his hand rubbing over his neck. "Sly- this isn't about your teasing or the memory of that day in any sort of way. At this point, you're the one who's troubled, not me.", he waited for the raccoon below to look at him, giving him a reassuring nod, before they continued climbing.

Only about a minute had passed, as Mercury glanced back, Sly's eyes still locked on him with uncertainty. _What now?..._ "Sly?", he looked down at the other raccoon, thinking it was enough to get him to speak up. Sly mumbled to himself softly, before his gaze caught Mercury's. "Then what is it about?", their eye contact definitely lasted longer than before, probably thanks to their distance, but soon Mercury averted his gaze once more.

Mercury made sure he had a safe grip, his gaze left roaming, just not towards Sly. When they focused on him in the corner of his eyes, he knew he wasn't even close to being ready to say anything, his voice at the volume of soft whispers. "If you can't tell by yourself at this point- ...then I don't know how else I could show you right now.", their eyes locked, both hanging there in silence, just looking at the opposite other.

His whispers were lost in the elevator shaft. The sudden sound of a counterweight setting into motion drowning out the last of his words. "I- I couldn't understand a single word, what did you say?", it had already taken all of his courage to say something so subtle and simple, there was no way he could repeat it to Sly. "I said the elevator is coming. We can talk some other time, just not right now.", Mercury's hand grasped over to the rope, starting to slide down. On his way down his other hand grasped at Sly's collar, pulling him with, Sly's hands catching the rope in their palms.

They reached the top, already able to peek over the edge, as the elevator slowed down. Mercury's eyes roamed over the rooftop, the first thing they spotted of course being the giant neon bright letters spelling out Muggshot. Luckily enough there weren't many guards around- which was good, since mister explosions of sparkling love was still out of it.

The next best thing he spotted, after the huge letters, was the key. It was stored underneath some metal casing, the glass embedded with it seemed pretty thick. Upon closer inspection, a simple knock in this case, he could tell it would be too hard for them to break through. His eyes scouted around for heavier objects they could use, spotting just the thing right above.

He looked around for Sly, spotting him collecting some clues. The car he was on was barely hanging on to a magnet, not long after collapsing under the car's and Sly's combined weight. The raccoon luckily was quick with his wits, jumping to safety, but the moment still remained a shocker. Relieved Mercury looked back at the crane placed above.

They'd have to figure out a way to get there. After looking around for a bit, he could tell there wasn't going to be a direct way up. Mercury reunited with Sly, knowing they'd have to work together somehow or- the beeping Binocucom suddenly caught their attention, Sly opening up the connection to Bentley.

"See those neon tubes? I know they look like you can't climb on them, but with your thieving skills, I bet you could pull it off!", that was true, Sly would be able to climb all the way up. Sly glanced at Mercury, he simply nodded back. The neon tubes would be harder to climb on than the usual ones, so Mercury followed Sly slowly, uncertain whether he himself can pull it off.

He felt his grip soften on the tube, sliding down just a tad, as it stopped again. Mercury felt a sigh escape him, his eyes following Sly, who climbed further on the letters. Once again it seemed to be a task done with such little effort by Sly. Mercury had to grip tighter than usual, his hands slightly hurting, as he climbed up further. He barely had made it to the first 'G' and could tell his hands were involuntarily losing their grip.

Things got worse, as a strong breeze came through, shaking the already swaying neon letter. Mercury held on as best as he could, feeling a hand tug on his back, keeping him in place. "Come on, almost there.", Mercury looked back at the other raccoon, thankful that he held on to him. Now at the second big 'G', Mercury looked at the other letters. Why couldn't his name simply be 'Mugg'?

Mercury's grip tightened even more around the neon tube. His unintended action suddenly caused the tube to burst, Mercury's hands letting go of the tube in shock, leaving him to stare at his body slowly leaning back. Sly turned at the sound of the shattered glass, seeing Mercury fall off the tube, quite unfortunate with his landing. Mercury let out a short gasp of pain, as he landed right next to the fence that had blocked them off, his arm hanging over to the other side. _Ouch._

Sly let go of the neon tubes, quickly running to aid his friend. "Hey, you alright?", he helped the raccoon lift his arm over slowly, Mercury's hand resting in his armpit. "Nothing serious, I'm not hurt. I was just shocked for a moment when the glass shattered.", immediately after his words, he knelt back down, hissing through tight lips. Sly knelt down with him, "Not hurt my ass-sss.", imitating his hiss. Sly leant him back against a pole, pulling up his hoodie, as he softly felt over his shoulder.

"At least you're right, it doesn't seem too serious. You had me thinking, that you actually managed to dislodge your shoulder.", Sly pulled Mercury's hoodie back down, covering his back. Mercury gave out a soft whimper, trying to rotate his arm slowly. "I've been thinking, you know... but- it can't be about Carmelita, right?", if he had a drink he would have spat it out at this point, Mercury's eyes clearly widening. His mouth opened slightly, the words not there just yet.

Sly slowly zoomed into his view, his head peeking at the side of Mercury's face. "It is?!", Sly's eyes widened in response, his eyebrows quickly forming a frown. "But I mean, how- why? What?", his frown deepened, the questions stacking in his head. "It's not about Carme-", Sly put a finger over his mouth, stopping him right there. "It definitely is, I know that expression. Now tell me- what does it have to do with her.", Sly's eyes didn't leave him, waiting for an answer.

Of course it would end up like this. Mercury had talked through it in so many imagined conversations, but he couldn't remember any of them. He could never up right tell him, that he loves him, right? Mercury would be crazy. He wouldn't dare to do so, too afraid of the outcome. He'd have to work around... - "I- guess I'm scared.", Mercury started off with the thing he felt the most, holding his aching shoulder.

Mercury saw that he had to do better, Sly's eyes roaming his body, presumably not understanding what he meant. "Sly, it's evident that you love miss Fox. I told you- the obsession seemingly runs on both sides.", so far so good, Sly's eyes found their way back to Mercury's. "Okay, so...", Mercury had no idea what he was walking into, feeling like he was treading on very thin ice. "...", Mercury stared at him in silence for a moment, "-when I say I'm scared, I mean we are scared. We don't want to lose you.", _You're an idiot. It was supposed to be I, not we._

We or I... -he couldn't make his feelings that personal, yet. He couldn't dare tell him that. 'I don't want to lose you'. It didn't matter... the point was the feeling of losing him to miss Fox. "So you're worried about my feelings for Carmelita?", _yes._ "No... you are free to feel what ever you want. It's just that the Cooper gang with out the Cooper in it... just doesn't feel right.", Sly backed away slightly, a questioning frown on his eyebrows.

It soon made 'click', as he came back in. "You think I'd leave the gang to be with Carmelita?", not that Mercury would blame him. He softly shrugged, as best as he could with his shoulder. "You're an idiot.", _ouch?_ Sly looked at him with a big grin. Mercury was waiting for the explanation of why he was an idiot, but Sly just kept staring at him with a wide grin.

"Why... why am I an idiot?", Sly scooted closer slightly, locking his eyes with Mercury's. "Because you think I'd leave you bunch alone. The Cooper gang still has a lot to do. ", his demeanor suddenly turned dark, standing up straight and clenching his hand to a fist. "We still have to deal with the fiendish five, before then I can not afford to even think of what happens afterwards.", Sly eased up again, looking down at his friend.

"Besides, I think right now she'd rather have me cuffed up in jail, than at the opposite site of a dinner table.", Mercury chuckled at the image, seeing Sly kneel back down towards him. "If that was all you're scared of, then you should have said it sooner.", the raccoon smiled at Sly, at least giving it his best attempt. "Right.", before Mercury could say anything else, Sly embraced him, being careful with his shoulder.

So close, yet so far. Every time the opportunity arises for him to maybe tell Sly, he felt way too overwhelmed. But... if the only thing he'll ever do with Sly is embrace him he was sure it would break him. He felt Sly shift slightly, feeling his warm breath against his ear. "I know you said 'we', but-", Mercury felt his heart thumping rapidly, trying to keep himself calm.

The raccoon felt Sly shake his head. "Nevermind me.", Mercury's eyes looked at the back of Sly's head for a moment, before they suddenly were hanging low, as he rested his head on Sly's shoulder. _I'm an Idiot._ It remained unknown to the other, that both had the same sad expression, riddled by uncertainty. But neither was ready to show it, as the hug came to a close, both presenting a warm smile to the opposite other.

"Come on, let's get to that crane.", Sly helped the raccoon up on his feet, as they continued walking towards a big antenna. Mercury stayed back slightly, waiting for Sly to collect the scattered clues and clear out the guards roaming the rooftop. Mercury climbed up on the elevated surface around the antenna, checking out the upper levels of the rooftop. There was a big scaffolding, supporting another set of shining letters. The glowing 'casino' and dices covered it mostly, but he could tell they would be able to climb the back all the way to the top.

The question of how to get over to the crane was still open though. Maybe they could jump it? But it seemed way too dangerous... Mercury slowly rotated his arm, seeing Sly climb up just behind him. "See anything?", the raccoon turned back, pointing towards the upper level of the rooftop. "There's a scaffolding we could use, I'm not sure whether we'll be able to cover the distance to the other side though. And there's the problem of getting up to the other level in the first place.", Mercury turned to see Sly mumbling, a hand on his chin, eyeing up the antenna.

Mercury followed his eyes, seeing the antenna sway softly in the wind. There was a sudden feeling over uneasiness spreading in Mercury. Every time there was an unsafe object nearby he could feel a weird tingling sensation, at least when he was around Sly that is. His eyes went back to Sly, already sporting bright shining eyes with a wide grin.

"I don't like where this is going.", Sly's grin just widened, revealing his teeth, as his finger pointed towards the top of the antenna. _Of course- why would I expect anything else?_ "Think you can climb again?", Mercury rotated his arm softly, nodding at Sly. "Yeah, I think- slowly. But what are you going to do anyway? This thing looks like it'll break any second and we won't be able to jump that gap, even from up there.", Sly didn't hesitate, his hands already firmly grasping the pipe leading towards the top.

"Breaking it is the plan.", _wait what?_ Mercury frowned at the ascending raccoon. "We'll be able to climb over, just make sure to help me tilt it this way.", Mercury's frown remained, shaking his head at the raccoon, as he got ready to push against it from below. "Sometimes I wonder if you really think things through.", Sly chuckled under his breath, as he came closer to the tip of the antenna.

Sly felt the antenna sway with the wind, breathing in deeply, as he looked down at Mercury. _Yeah, sometimes I wonder, too._ He nodded down at the raccoon, Mercury immediately pushing as hard as he could against the antenna's side. It worked out. The antenna, as unstable as it was, tilted towards the upper rooftops. Mercury heard creaking noises, the rusted metal bending and breaking in different places.

Mercury watched the tower fall, Sly pushing himself up, preparing for the impact. He could hear Sly yell out with excitement, muffled out once the antenna hit the other roof. Mercury saw him stagger towards him, probably still a little light headed from the excitement. "You're nuts.", yet, Mercury couldn't help but smile, as Sly reached down for him, pulling him up on the antenna.

They quickly went back to business, traversing the upper levels. Mercury followed Sly like his shadow, quickly taking note of the wall blocking their way. Maybe it was just perspective, but it seemed way too high to get over. As Sly finished off the last of guards and they finally were able to ascend the scaffolding, it became clear. It wasn't just perspective.

Mercury and Sly stood on the uppermost floor of the scaffolding, the wind breezing through. Mercury felt small droplets of water hit his face. He held out his hand, testing for any more water. "Sly, it's starting to rain. Let's just look for another way.", the raccoon didn't answer, Mercury pulling his hood over his head, so he wouldn't get soaked. Mercury only heard Sly mumble for several more minutes, the metal under his feet already completely wet.

"Sly- did you hear me?", he waved his hand back, slowly turning to Mercury. "There is no other way up- we've checked everything. It's this way or-", well, there's nothing else except giving up on the key. That wasn't an option. "Maybe- just maybe we can jump it, right?", Mercury felt like Sly started making excuses, the wall was clearly too high to simply jump it. "Maybe you could lift me on your shoulders and I can make it over?", Sly turned back to Mercury, seeing him stare back with a frown, holding his shoulder.

"Right, then maybe I can lift you up and you-", Mercury stepped behind Sly, his hand touching his shoulder. He was already completely soaking wet. "Sly, I won't be able to hold on.", the raccoon shrugged his hand off softly, crossing the railing to the last section of the scaffolding. The front flickered with light, portraying a giant bone. Sly turned back to Mercury, extending his hand, "Trust me on this."

Mercury felt the same uneasiness as before, his eyes looking back into Sly's. His plan had worked out before, it would do so again, right? At least those were the words Mercury wanted to go by. He gulped, walking over to the railing. Just as Mercury was over the railing, both raccoons heard a loud creaking noise, as if metal was bending once more. Mercury's eyes quickly found their way to Sly's, Mercury holding his back to the railing.

The 'bone' platform suddenly tilted slightly, expanding the range between Mercury and Sly. The raccoon did his best to keep it steady, hearing some more creaking noises, as the movement stopped again. Sly looked back, certain that they were definitely able to close the gap now. All he had to do was get Mercury over. "I know it looks scary, but it stopped. Just come over.", that was definitely easier said than done.

Mercury felt himself hesitate, he wouldn't be able to simply jump over. He blinked several times, staring down at the rough landing that waited below. He later realized Sly's cane also in his view, following it to Sly. Even with his support it would be quite the jump, nevertheless both his hands grasped his cane. Sly smiled over, nodding at him, as he started to softly pull.

Mercury was almost ready to jump, as the creaking noises returned, both raccoons looking down at the platform. It tilted once more, even quicker this time. The moment went by so fast. Sly could only stare back at Mercury, seeing him almost fall, as he was still holding on to the cane. With all his might Sly pushed him back, letting go of his cane, as Sly fell with the platform, the impact crashing down the wall obstructing their way.

With Sly's aid, Mercury had managed to hold on to the railing, but the creaking remained. Mercury's eyes scouted over to the other side of the impact, dust obscuring his vision of what happened. He could only make out shadows, until his eyes saw a figure struggling to stand up. The other was near, seemingly unaware of the other, but definitely on high-alert. The dust slowly cleared and Mercury could see Sly- also the other figure, a rough looking dog, machine gun in his hands. _Sly!_

Mercury's eyes darted back down, unable to ignore the creaking sound of metal any longer. Merely seconds passed, as the entire foothold of the upper and middle level of the scaffolding crashed below his feet. With the last of his power he held on to the metal bars, the only thing of the structure which remained standing. He couldn't hold out any longer, one of his hands firmly holding on to the cane. His grasp slipped, as he passed by the second level, able to momentarily hold on to another set of bars.

Ultimately though, he fell to the bottom, almost completely banging his head on the floor of the scaffolding. The little impact he had, left him seeing double, as his vision dimmed. His grip on the cane loosened, his eyes closing slowly. _N-No!_ His eyes shot open wide, his head was thumping at the rate of his heart, each beat striking with pain. If he was to pass out now, there was no telling what would happen to Sly. He staggered to his feet, his hand trying to close its grip around Sly's cane. His eyes looked down, only now realizing it was gone.

He quickly turned, still feeling a little dizzy, as he fell back on one knee. Again his feet already wanted to move towards Sly. They stopped though, the feeling of eyes upon him made Mercury stop. His head slowly turned, his eyes picking up on another individual standing right beside him. His eyes widened in surprise. _Sly?_ It was Sly, he was sure of it, he even had his cane back!

Before Mercury could say anything or ask if he was alright, Sly kneeled down and pressed the cane into his hands. Mercury didn't understand, staring back at Sly. The raccoon simply tilted his head, gesturing towards the fallen platform. Mercury's gaze followed the gesture. Once his eyes turned back, Sly had simply vanished. For a moment he stared down at the cane, feeling his grasp tighten immensely, rushing forth towards and over the fallen 'bone'.

Sly kept struggling to keep himself upright, only able to slightly lift himself off the ground. The sound of steps towards him caught his attention, his eyes scanning through the fading layers of dust around him. The footsteps came closer and closer, but there was nothing to see. His head kept turning, looking for anything, until they were met by the muzzle of a machine gun. A dog dressed in a dust covered tuxedo looked down at him with a frown, sunglasses covering his eyes.

Sly coughed through the smoke, his eyes lowering back towards the barrel of the gun. He chuckled softly, the dog slightly lowered the gun, before realigning it with his face. _Just my luck._ His eyes looked back to the wall he crashed through, wondering what happened to Mercury. Hearing the cocking sound of the gun behind him, Sly's eyes slowly closed, there was no point in struggling anymore.

Mercury could finally see a clear picture, the scene in front of him causing him to grit his teeth to the extend that it hurt. "Yo, doggy...", the dog's gaze lifted from Sly, his gun following the sound of the call, spotting Mercury. The gun's shot echoed across the rooftop, sending a few bullets at the raccoon. Sly gasped, seeing the bullets pierce Mercury straight through his chest.

But instead of falling over wounded, bleeding and screaming, it seemed as if the raccoon was shaking rapidly. His figure vanished from both Sly's and the dog's eyes, just like a mirage would, the bullets zooming off into the distance. Both were frantically looking through the area, Mercury was nowhere to be seen, both surprised as he suddenly popped into view, dashing forward from a wall nearby. "-fetch!", Sly saw the other raccoon launching at the dog like a homing missile.

Sly's cane was brought back all the way, Mercury harnessing all of his power for the attack. Sly saw his gritted teeth, eyes wide, filled with anger and determination. The dog had no chance, the gun nowhere near Mercury to even attempt a counter attack. Mercury's swing hit the dog's jaw, easily knocking him away, the dog stumbling a bit before falling over. The raccoon held his shoulder in pain, but kept his eyes on the guard, making sure he was knocked out before he relaxed.

It seemed to be safe, the dog not moving for a good amount, as he dropped down next to Sly. "ARE YOU OKAY?!", the screaming caused a notion of vertigo in Sly, holding his ears shut. "Ow. No need to be screaming. You're gonna burst someones eardrums.", Sly looked at the raccoon, still wide eyed, blinking at Sly a few times. Mercury looked at Sly, seeing his lips move but his words were lost, remaining inaudible to him. Mercury brought up a hand to his ear, feeling something trail down from inside.

 _Blood?_ Mercury looked at the red substance, brushing it off on his hoodie, as he moved closer to Sly. "I can't hear that great right now, but I'm glad to see you're okay.", _oh the irony._ Sly saw him casually wiping the blood on his hoodie, wondering just what happened to him. Mercury helped Sly to his feet, the raccoon still holding his shoulder tightly. Sly's gaze traveled over Mercury, before laying his eyes on the dog.

He must have packed quite a punch, even with his shoulder the way it is. Yet, the dog was still moving, his hands grasping for his gun. Sly smiled over at Mercury, retrieving his cane from the raccoon's hands. Sly went over, giving the guard a whack on his head, knocking him out cold. Sly saw Mercury breath rapidly, his chest expanding exponentially to slowly calm his breathing pattern.

Sly walked back over, getting close to Mercury so he would actually hear him. "We've got to work on your swinging arm.", Mercury puffed out some air, shaking his head at Sly with a smile. _Very funny._ "And you should finally start thinking things through.", Sly saw Mercury's smile fade, he must have really scared his friend.

"Maybe I should. By the way, how did you do that?", Mercury put his hands close to his ears, trying to better grasp Sly's words. "Come again?", Mercury struggled to focus on Sly's words, his vision going blurry, his knees weakening. Before he knew it, he was on his butt, everything fuzzy from the impact on the ground.

"Merc-", the raccoon reopened his eyes to see Sly real close, holding him upright, some words still lost in the air. "Seeing double, huh?", Mercury chuckled, his head still slightly beating to his heartbeat. The irony definitely wasn't lost upon Mercury either. "You have no idea.", _literally._ Sly smiled at his friend, offering him his shoulder as support. The raccoon was brought to a stand, Sly's warm smile possibly being the best support he had in a long time.

The two shuffled forward to the crane, Mercury slowly regaining a sense of orientation and the feeling of stability in his legs. It had felt like an adventure of its own just to get to the crane, Mercury smiling at the thought of them getting their hands on the last key. And he knew he wasn't the only excited one, watching Sly walk ahead, looking down at the wrecking ball below.

Sly's gaze found its way to Mercury, beckoning him to come closer. Mercury came closer, seeing Sly grasp the line down to the wrecking ball. He looked at Mercury with a smile on his lips. "Together this time?", no need to ask, as Mercury brought his hands next to Sly's, both raccoons descending on the ball. Their weight on the wrecking ball caused it to swing from side to side, crashing through the neon letters, completely crushing one of the big 'G's in Muggshot's name.

Mercury didn't know why exactly, but crushing that letter felt like a true relief, as he smiled at the broken pieces. The breeze while swinging around was also quite welcome, but they still had to align the ball with the glass, as they swung back. Now right above the key, the two did their best to make the ball drop, causing it to do so, completely crushing the key case.

Finally they stood on the roof, the last key in Sly's hands. Now there was only one thing left do, as Sly turned to Mercury with a wide grin. "Come on, let's go teach a little doggy how to 'sit'.", even though he didn't understand everything, Mercury smiled back, nodding at the raccoon. The two of them returned to the elevator, this time relaxing in the inside. Mercury pondered over Sly's words, only having heard 'let's' and 'sit'. Mercury didn't feel like ruining a special moment by asking him to repeat it. He'd just pretend it was something awesome as always...

 **End of Chapter sixteen.**


	17. Coupling Rock And Paper

**Sly Cooper and the Thievius Raccoonus  
(Yaoi Fan Fiction)**

 **For disclaimer : I do not own Sly Cooper or any of their Characters.**

 **Sly Cooper and the gang in: Sunset Snake Eyes**

 **(Don't get confused here, I know it plays out differently in the game, but sometimes I just change up the bosses a little to keep it fresh. Hope you like it!)**

The main hall was surprisingly empty, the only guard in their way was standing right in front of the elevator door. To no surprise, the guard was quickly dispatched of by Sly, landing in the water down below. Looking down Mercury saw the guard hanging over the edge gurgling up some water, his mouth seeming like a small fountain. Mercury nearly tumbled down the stairs, following Sly to the hidden switch behind the wall that Bentley mentioned.

After inserting all the keys it quickly turned, revealing said hidden lever. The mechanism set into motion, their eyes turning and following the sound, leading them to Muggshot's face. It's jaw lowered, the 'tongue' lashing forward, granting access to the hidden elevator behind it. As Mercury's eyes slowly turned back to Sly, he saw a certain look of seriousness in them, as he quickly put the keys in his backpack.

Standing in front of the lift, Mercury inspected the face one last time. If that's the guy they're up against, it's definitely going to be harder than the time they spent with Raleigh. Mercury watched Sly enter the elevator, sure steps taking him the whole way. If he wanted to be of help, he'd have to remain as certain as Sly was, so he followed- though he could tell already, his steps were a lot softer.

Mercury didn't know why, but he felt himself tightening up, his breath uneven. He wasn't entirely sure what made him feel this way. Either the cramped condition of the elevator or the sudden rise in temperature. It only got worse the closer they got to the top. Sly must have noticed, at least his ears seemed to have picked up on his breathing, as Mercury could see him ever so slowly turn with a smile on his lips.

The hand Sly put on his shoulder and his reassuring nod gave Mercury some relief. Mercury mirrored his nod, feeling slightly less cramped up. A wave of hot air hit them, as the elevator door opened, clearing the path to Muggshot. Mercury was sure now- all the hot air was messing with his body. Sly stopped in his tracks, seeing Mercury kneel down to the ground.

"Hey- hey, hey... don't pass out on me. This really is not the time.", Sly softly patted Mercury's face, keeping him in the real world. Mercury knew it wasn't the time, but his body had already been fighting this since the rooftop. There's only so much he could endure. "I'll just need one moment- ah... you- you just go get him-", Sly still held onto him, looking into his eyes, seeing Mercury smile, "...will be right behind you."

Sly wasn't entirely sure whether he could really leave his friend like this, but there was no turning back, even if they wanted to. Sly was certain Muggshot knew of their arrival in the elevator. There was no way he would let them leave so easily. Sly reckoned the sooner he took care of Muggshot the better... -he'd have to shake off the worry he felt. Sly didn't like it, but after a moment he nodded, quickly running to the middle of the room.

He had a weird feeling within, seeing some weird glass shapes all around him, leading him through the room towards a big seat. Sly dared to touch one of them, his hand immediately pulling back at the touch. They were hot- and unbelievably so. The hot air flow must be due to some of the shapes landing directly in the sunlight.

Mercury fought the desire to simply close his eyes, he knew they still had a job to do, but this heat was making it unbearable. First things first- he ditched his hoodie, feeling already relieved, as the air could at least flow over his body. A distant and low pitched sound caught his attention. It was unclear, but it almost sounded like laughter. He tried to get up on his legs, wanting to get closer to the action.

 **-[Inside Muggshot's Hide-out]-**

 **Muggshot:**

"What? My boys have been yapping about some big mysterious dude running around cracking skulls and, and this is it?! You're the monkey wrench in my operation? Some scrawny rat with a stick... Wait a second... I've seen that stick before."

 **Sly:**

"Maybe when my father knocked your block off with it."

 **Muggshot:**

"Your father? Wow, you're a Cooper? You know, that Thingus Raccamagoocus had a lot of nice pictures but WAY too many big words."

 **Sly:**

"So you don't mind just handing it over."

 **Muggshot:**

"What are you kidding? You break into my place, steal my stuff, trash the joint. I feel transgressed and violated. Let's rock!"

Sly watched, as Muggshot got out of his seat, sticking loaded machine guns in the holster on his back. He turned to Sly, walking towards him on his muscular arms. Sly had to admit, the sight was something you don't see every day. At least he felt like he made the right choice, since he was certain now that they would never have made it down the elevator alive. Sly ducked for cover behind the glass spheres, trying not to fry himself in the meantime.

The sound of gun shots were still mostly audible to Mercury, as he went in to get a better view of Muggshot. His jaw immediately dropped, seeing him 'walk' on his fists, his legs dangling below his torso. The only time he used his legs was when he went for his machine guns, firing quick bursts towards Sly.

There wasn't much Sly could do, Muggshot kept him locked down with his spray of bullets. He tried running him around, but devising a plan would cost him some time- and there definitely was no time to think. Mercury followed Sly and Muggshot with his eyes, slowly making his way down towards them. His 'way' to do so was seemingly tumbling down the stairs, crashing face first into one of the glass shapes.

He recovered quickly though, the nice burning sensation probably keeping him on edge. Mercury rubbed over the heated area, grumbling to himself. His eyes focused back on Sly running the dog in circles. If they wanted to stand a fighting chance, they would have to get rid of his guns for sure. Mercury looked around himself, hoping to find anything to possibly aid Sly with. The only thing of use he saw nearby were mirrors though.

Of course someone so full of himself would keep a lot of mirrors around- at that point it clicked in Mercury. Perhaps it was due to the burning sensation in his cheek slowly lifting, but if all they had to do was get rid of his guns, then perhaps they could make use of the immense heat-building glass spheres.

Sly continued ducking from one sphere to the next, his brain still working on a plan. A sudden shimmer in his eyes caused him to blink several times, as he spotted Mercury dashing through the room. As glad as he was to see him upright, he couldn't help but frown. Did he have some sort of plan worked out? All he was doing was spinning a variety of mirrors towards- _oh, that could work!_

The refocused mirrors definitely caused the heat of the spheres to sky rocket. Mercury didn't dare touch them at this point, spinning the last of mirrors towards the bulbs. Mercury unhinged the last mirror, running towards the pair of dog and raccoon. The positioning was kind of odd, but he tried to focus the combined and refocused light into a single bright burning beam. Even though he didn't touch it himself, he could feel the air around him and the mirror in his hands heating up severely.

Sly saw the other raccoon standing in place, waiting for him to lure Muggshot in. Sly stopped in his tracks, waiting for Muggshot to catch up. "I give up! I give up.", Muggshot walked closer slowly, raising an eyebrow at the raccoon's sudden change in behavior. "You don't seem to understand the definition of let's rock. What- are you pleading for your life now?", Sly stepped out towards the dog, hands raised.

"I just feel like I finally understand how strong you really are.", Muggshot snorted loudly, pulling the machine guns from his back, aiming straight at Sly. "Well too late now, you barked up the wrong tree, you scrawny rat. Never thought a Cooper would give up so easily, gotta say I'm disappointed.", Muggshot noticed that the raccoon barely listened to him, seeing him stare to his right several times.

Muggshot's eyes followed him, seeing a distant raccoon pointing something towards him. He suddenly could feel a burning heat inside both of his hands, as his machine guns quite literally turned a searing red. Before he could process what was happening, he howled out loudly, dropping the burning hot guns. He blew air into his heated palms, his guns having nearly burned off his entire skin.

Mercury didn't feel any different, dropping the searing hot mirror just like Muggshot. Any longer and the skin of his palms would have been fixed to the hot mirror. Muggshot desperately tried cooling off his hands, seeing the raccoon in front of him run to his partner. His eyes went back to his guns, quite literally melting on the ground.

"My beautiful gun is destroyed!", he grumbled to himself, trying to walk towards a lifting platform, as fast as his hands allowed him to. "Good thing I got a spare upstairs.", Sly's eyes followed the dog walking to the platform, ascending to the upper level. "Mercury that was some quick thinking, are you okay?", the raccoon looked down at his palms, both burning in a brighter shade of red. Mercury softly nodded.

"We should hurry after him, I think he just said he got more guns upstairs.", Sly helped his friend towards the lift. They had to catch Muggshot before he could reach his guns. The two raccoons reached the next platform, spotting Muggshot reaching into a hatch in the ground, retrieving a new set of machine guns. Sly grit his teeth- _too late._ "Sly, there are more spheres around, we'll go with the same plan again."

Sly felt like he had to say something, he didn't want Mercury to overdo it. Before he could say anything however, he walked off. His eyes spotted Muggshot also on the loose again, his guns locked and loaded. The raccoon did his best to dodge the never ending barrage of gun shots, turning mirror after mirror. As he got to the last few he could tell something was missing... the never ending barrage- it ended.

Sly turned to witness Muggshot running over towards Mercury. The other raccoon didn't seem to have noticed, the sounds around him possibly still somewhat lost upon his ears. Mercury was too focused on the mirror, as it was seemingly stuck, making it hard to turn. Muggshot was already aligning his guns to the raccoon's back. Sly could only hope the beam would be enough, as he twisted the last of his mirrors, sending the combined beam straight at Muggshot this time.

The dog looked down at the pathetic raccoon, his finger already pulling the trigger. During that time he felt another odd sensation, especially the smell of someone barbecuing was off putting. Muggshot's head turned to view his back, his trousers completely going up in flames, as his hands unwillingly jolted at the heat. The newly aligned shot missed Mercury by a few inches, finally creating enough sound for him to notice the big dog behind him.

Mercury looked up at Muggshot, noticing him trying to put out the fire that enveloped his pants. Sly was practically bumping into Mercury, his soundless approach scaring him more than Muggshot's missed shot. "Really cutting it short here, he almost shot you.", Mercury let the jump scare slide, focusing his attention back on the mirror. Sly stood still for a moment, as both the raccoons noticed the dog on his back- not quite moving.

Both jumped back slightly, as Muggshot's arms brought him back to a stand. If he wasn't furious before, now they could definitely tell they were getting on his nerves. Mercury eyed the big dog already reaching for his guns. Sly turned to Mercury, hooking his cane to the mirror, giving the two more space to work with. Mercury could tell that Muggshot was really pissed off, the veins on his head visible and beating immensely.

Inch by inch they felt the mirror moving, as it finally twisted with full force. Both raccoons tumbled across the floor, expectant eyes following the light beam to Muggshot. The dog was wise to their tricks at this point, taking a step to the side, evading the tightly focused beam. They had to run, NOW! Sly grasped for Mercury's arm, he eyed him shortly, looking down at the cane in his other hand.

Mercury brushed off Sly, grabbing the cane out of his hand, as he dashed to the mirror. Muggshot tried landing a spray of his bullets on them, but the push Mercury gave Sly was enough to boost him behind one of the glass spheres. Mercury glided towards the mirror, ducking underneath the barrage of bullets. As Mercury came closer his eyes scanned the pole the mirror was anchored to, spotting the exact spot of rusted metal.

With the force of his momentum and the strength he had at hand, he hit the rusted spot as hard as he could, effectively breaking off the mirror. Putting the cane aside, he took the mirror into the bright beam and once more focused it on Muggshot's guns. The agitated Muggshot would have none of it, aiming his guns at the raccoon. His hands were already burning, but he would definitely take one of these raccoons out, right now.

Sly could only watch, as Muggshot pulled the trigger on his searing hot guns. Mercury raised the mirror slightly, trying to provide some sort of cover. He squinted, ready to close his eyes and waiting for the bullets- so one could understand the confusion in him, Muggshot and Sly, as no bullets were coming out of the guns.

Muggshot pulled the trigger several times more, but all that came out was the clicking sound. Something finally happened, though unexpected, the guns chamber gradually grew, the dog watching his guns bloating in horror. The moment Muggshot let go of his guns it was already too late, they blew a short distance in front of him. The raccoons watched as the guns blew up, Muggshot caught in the radius.

They waited for the smoke to clear, unsure of what happened to Muggshot. Sly reunited with Mercury behind a glass sphere closer to the other raccoon. As the smoke slowly cleared, they saw Muggshot still standing. He was beat up, but still standing tall. "Now what- we took care of his guns, but he's still a big threat.", Mercury was right, he still had his raw power. The two would never be able to beat him in close combat.

Sly questioned whether beating him or not even mattered. They couldn't even be sure, if Muggshot had his part of the Thievius Raccoonus on him. Sly looked back at the lifting platform. Maybe they could take this fight to a position where it's in their favor? But where would that be? His eyes scanned the room, as a big smile grew on his lips. Mercury eyed him expectantly. He must have devised a plan, at least his growing smile and confidence would suggest so.

Sly focused back on Mercury, he took off his hat, casually throwing his hat to Mercury. "Take this.", Sly rummaged through his backpack, dropping a page of the Thievius Raccoonus into Mercury's hand. Mercury looked at the items, but clearly couldn't follow. _Maybe I'm not the only one the hot air is getting to..._ "Care to share your plan with me?", Sly's smile simply broadened, his finger pointing Mercury's gaze above.

Muggshot puffed out a lot of smoke. His eyes went to look down at his wounded hands. He clenched them, feeling every fiber strike in pain, bleeding from the injuries he had taken. It wasn't going in his favor and he never felt so riled up. He had worked so hard to be the toughest and this is who he is losing against? How could two little rats get him so worked up?

He sighed heavily, thinking back to the big screen gangsters, thinking how his heroes would've acted in his place. "Hey Muggshot, don't you think it's time to end this already? Mano a mano?", the dog snorted amused, puffing out some smoke. "Pretty big mouth, Cooper. Until now you've done nothing but run away. I'm gonna tear your mouth wide open and turn you inside out.", Muggshot turned to the cocky raccoon, seeing him dust off smoke of his top and fixing his collar.

Simply by looking at him, any remaining threads in Muggshot snapped. That cocky smile-... that damn smile of his pushed it over the limit. The dog charged at Sly, trying to get him into his hands. Sly dodged his obvious charge, letting Muggshot crash into the glass. Sly continued exhausting the dog's breath and endurance, until he had to stop momentarily. Sly used this moment to frame the dog and his position accordingly. Muggshot didn't know what was going on, but one thing was certain- it didn't help his temper at all.

Mercury climbed up the big chandelier's rope, stopping for a second to glance at the Thievius Raccoonus page. He attached Sly's hat to the end of the rope, backing off with the cane in his hand. As always Sly had the weirdest ideas, but what else could they possibly do against someone as brawny as Muggshot. Mercury positioned himself on the chandelier, waiting for Sly's signal.

Muggshot slowly got back up on his hands. At this point he was practically crawling at him. The little raccoon was just to agile, if only he could get him in his grasp. Muggshot recovered enough to go for another charge, but he played his role of looking exhausted, hoping to catch Sly off guard. This was his moment! He charged at the raccoon, still framing up with his hands. Sly merely looked back at him, getting caught in his muscular grip.

Muggshot felt a sigh of relief escape him. "Finally, now-", Muggshot felt Sly move his arms through his grip easily, his hands were simply too hurt. "Let's play a game.", Muggshot looked at Sly freeing one arm, as he started to form hand signs. "Rock, Paper, Scissors!", the raccoon had to be joking, didn't he understand the situation he was in. Such insolence was really messing with the dog.

"You little, scrawny-", Sly's hand formed a last sign, as both heard something blow up above, the rattling of chains becoming clearer by the second. "Rock.", Muggshot saw the cocky grin return to his face, even though he was completely caught. His head turned slightly, the whooshing sound of something big coming towards them catching his attention. Sly easily freed himself out of his hands, tumbling out of the way.

Muggshot saw the entire chandelier come flying from the side, only attached by one last chain. The dog was hit and the chandelier took him for a spin, before it send him flying into one of the glass spheres, crashing it open. He was heavily shook from the impact, seeing the chandelier crash down, the other raccoon jumping off the 'rock'. The thought of actually having lost to the raccoons was odd, but he still smiled. If this was his end of being a gangster he'd play it off like his heroes.

 **Muggshot:**

"Two little pipsqueaks like you, beating a big strong bruiser like me? It aint right..."

 **Sly:**

"You played your cards wrong. Brain always beats brawn, just like paper beats rock- even though we kind of coupled rock and paper this time around."

A smaller laugh escaped Muggshot's mouth, clearly amused by his words.

 **Muggshot:**

"You really have a big mouth... If you want all of that stupid picture book, you gonna have to go down to Haiti and cross paths with Mz. Ruby. And then believe you me- you don't wanna be you."

The brute's head fell, finally going unconscious from all the damage he endured. Mercury walked past Sly, sitting down on Muggshot's chest. For a moment Sly eyed him questioningly. "What? Isn't this what you said? 'Let's sit' on this doggy?", Sly shook his head, laughing to himself, as he walked over and sat down next to him.

Sly eyed his friend closely, taking in his every movement. He really didn't understand a thing he said, did he? Mercury fell over, landing on his back. Sly was worried shortly, but the loud snoring that came from the other raccoon suggested he was simply off to the dream world. Sadly there was no time for resting, as Sly could hear police sirens and the flashing red and blue light shimmered through the glass windows below.

Sly grasped Mercury, putting him over his shoulder. He carried him back down to the elevator, riding it all the way back down to the lobby. As the doors blasted open to the lobby, he only had a moment to be thankful for having returned to the cooler climate. The flashing lights were real close, and he was barely able to get out of the casino, before he saw Miss Fox burst through the doors and cuffing anything that moved.

About halfway back Sly heard Mercury yawn, briefly regaining conscious, able to witness what happened. "Psst. We're almost back to the guys, don't worry.", Mercury took a moment to notice what exactly was going on. He saw Sly stare back at him for a longer period of time, his questioning stare enough to get Sly to speak up. "Where's your hoodie gone off to?", Mercury looked down at himself, _oh right_.

Mercury shrugged, placing his head back down. It didn't matter, he was feeling just right. Sly smiled, as his friend dozed off again. The closer they got to the parking lot of the hot dog stand the more cops came past them. Luckily enough the guys seemed to have caught on soon enough, as Sly saw them wave the raccoons over from a bit further away than the actual parking lot. The hippo and turtle were glad to see them come back safely, especially after the swarming arrival of the cops.

 **-[Muggshot's Aftermath]-**

"Muggshot's section of the Thievius Raccoonus contained an entry from my gun-slinging ancestor, Tennessee Kid Cooper. His specialty was the rail-walk and rail-slide- moves perfected through a lifetime of theft in the old west.

Getting out of town proved to be a little more challenging than getting in. Having just missed us, Inspector Fox went for the next best thing and dragged that canine steroid case off to jail. That was the end of Muggshot's gambling empire and Mesa city's citizens soon returned home.

We would have loved to enjoy the rest of our stay in America, but different things were calling for us. We returned home to Paris, getting back so no one notices us missing and of course to get Mercury treated."

 **End of Chapter seventeen.**


	18. A Little 'Monster'

**Sly Cooper and the Thievius Raccoonus  
(Yaoi Fan Fiction)**

 **For disclaimer : I do not own Sly Cooper or any of their Characters.**

 **-[Back in the base}-**

Mercury felt some soft tugs on his arm. He pulled away from the offender. He wondered who dared to disturb his slumber, completely dismissing the attempt of whoever tried to wake him up. "Just a few more minutes.", through half-lidded eyes Mercury scanned who disturbed him. His eyes could make out a striped raccoon, the other raccoon leaning his back against some sort of... cage? Mercury closed his eyes again, feeling like he bothered too much. It only took a few seconds, before- A _CAGE!?_

Mercury was now wide awake, standing tall next to Sly. The other raccoon watched him, all startled and surprised, Mercury looking from side to side repeatedly. At least it wasn't a cage, it was a fence. The same fence they crossed on their way out of the base. To Mercury that felt like ages ago. "You okay?", his voice in whispers suggested they still had to be quiet, so Mercury simply nodded in return.

"I just saw... I saw the fence and thought we were caged-in or something. So we got away from Carmelita? Why didn't you wake me up...", getting a little light-headed, Mercury swayed a bit, before he felt himself flop back to the ground. He looked back, feeling Sly's hands on his back, keeping him from knocking his head into the stone wall of the tower next to them.

"That's why... I thought you really needed- and still need to rest. I only woke you up now, since we have to get you over the fence- just take it slow.", he made sure to make clear they weren't in a rush, not wanting Mercury to push himself over his limits- again. Sly helped the raccoon on his feet, one of his hands holding onto the fence.

Mercury silently nodded, gesturing for Sly to start climbing. It wasn't the most pleasant climb, but Mercury was very slowly getting to the top. Sly was just slightly ahead, keeping a steady eye on him- ready to grasp him if he should fall. He noticed that saddened expression stuck in Mercury's eyes, looking back down the street. "Something wrong?", his gaze quickly returned to Sly.

"No- just, I would have liked to say goodbye to the guys. Even though- at the same time I don't like saying it at all.", Sly almost thought it was something like that. Sly thought about waking him up for that, but Murray and Bentley suggested he shouldn't. They knew just like Sly that he needed to recover. Mercury looked back at Sly, noticing his expression, a slight frown on his eyebrows. Unsure of what he was thinking, Mercury waited and heard Sly emit a soft 'hmm', humming to himself. Mercury wondered for a moment what exactly he wanted to express with that.

An unpleasant burning sensation went through Mercury's head, a feeling like something in him was starting to boil. Thoughts flooded his mind, as he suddenly was caught in the middle of it. Sly was being condescending, right? Sly had to be thinking that it's his fault in the first place. He'd soon resume telling him that he was stupid for staying here on his own accords. Mercury struggled with his grip for a moment, his hand squeezing Sly's shirt tightly.

Sly noticed him squeeze his top, as he grabbed Mercury's arm, making sure he had a tight grip on him, as Sly guided him further to the top. But Sly was helping him get back in there... these thoughts- it felt like simple anger was building inside him. Sly looked back at him shortly, giving him a reassuring nod that he could resume climbing. _Very funny._ He knew Sly was only playing. He was about to suggest another one of his stupid, stupid- stupid plans of escaping this base.

Almost at the top he slowed down in his climbing slightly, Sly helping him up further. _No..._ that wasn't it. Mercury's free hand hit his head, hoping to stop the burning sensation. Why are these thoughts burning themselves into his mind? Both sat on top of the fence for a moment, Sly finally noticing the raccoon's weird behavior. He tried his best to keep both, Mercury and himself steady.

"Hey- hey, what's wrong?", Sly's whisper was lost on Mercury, as his world was starting to spin again. He tried to hold on to anything close by, the next best thing being Sly. The hold Mercury had of him in combination with his rampant movement caused both to fall off the fence, landing in the grass below.

They laid still for a moment, both grumbling in slight pain. Sly rubbed over his neck, supporting himself on his elbows. "Smooth landing, pal. Wouldn't rate it a ten though.", the raccoon looked over at Mercury, his head turning to spit out some grass. "At least it's the right side of the fence- or is it?", Mercury turned his head to Sly- or at least what seemed to be Sly. It was hard to tell with his vision constantly spinning.

He heard Sly slowly getting back up on his feet, holding down, what seemed to be a hand for him to stand up. "Just give me a second, my world's still spinning.", Sly sat back down, slowly lying down next to him, simply watching his friend. "Sorry if I pushed you there a little bit. I just don't think I would have gotten you over here by myself.", with the best of his abilities, Mercury waved up a hand, gesturing that there was no need to worry.

"I guess that just makes up for how you pushed Murray tonight.", he did his best to turn his view towards Sly, a slight quizzical look on Mercury's face. "Murray asked me to tell you when you woke up- he had a lot of fun, but it was only possible because you gave him a little push.", Sly smiled brightly at him. "I probably would have done the same. Especially since it seemed like you both enjoyed yourselves.", Mercury rested his head in the grass, smiling softly.

Mercury kind of knew already that Sly would have done the same. He just knew. With his world slowly stopping to spin like a record, the burning sensation also started to fade. Mercury brought up a hand to his side, slowly turning him on his back, staring into the sky. "Well, he also asked me to say 'thank you'. You know... the whole run-for-the-key-thing.", as much as Murray seemed to be thankful, all that Mercury recalled was how he cowered in fear.

It was horrible, and in no way should Murray be thanking him for that. He nearly let him die, simply by being selfish. Sly noticed his his eyes go dark, wondering what the grim expression was about. "I couldn't do it. He was in real danger, but I couldn't do it. He shouldn't be thanking me.", Sly's eyes followed his, as Mercury's face turned blank, staring back in the sky.

Mercury heard the soft movement through grass, his head slightly turning to Sly. Did he just scoot closer? For a moment his eyes locked with Sly's, as he relaxed once more, lying still beside him. It was about another minute, before Sly turned his head to him, merely to speak though, Sly's eyes were still focused on the stars. "You pulled through.", Mercury didn't quite understand, his eyes shortly falling on Sly before returning to the sky.

"You pulled through... you saved Murray. Because of you pulling through you also saved my life. Nothing I could say right now comes even close to how thankful I am. You were strong- that was the strongest I've ever seen of you. So I'm glad for whatever made you feel so strong. Maybe you finally found your reason to fight?", the raccoon stared at Mercury with an almost playful smile, but it was still genuine and felt so warm.

Mercury thought about his words. Had he really influenced the night and job that much? Was he worth of Sly's praising? 'Whatever made him feel strong'? Mercury pondered over it for a moment, only seeing Sly's image in his head. If Sly knew that it was him who made Mercury feel that way... what would he say? His head slowly turned to Sly who was still viewing the stars.

"Besides-", Mercury saw his head turn, their eyes locked. "-this time around you also managed to not drown in a puddle after saving me, so good on you.", even though his face turned from a slight shade of red to completely flushed, Mercury simply remained silent, staring back into his friend's beautiful eyes. Sly was almost impressed- he was clearly blushing, but kept a steady eye contact.

It was kind of unlike him, simply staring back into Sly's eyes, not minding the silence. Sly had almost taken his eyes off of him completely, when suddenly- "...yeah, the role reversal was quite interesting- how did that dirt taste?", Sly nearly choked on his own spit, as he inhaled- no way he just said that. Mercury smiled at Sly knowingly, the raccoon still coughing, trying to free his lungs. As Sly's eyes returned to his, Mercury stared back with bright intent, before his eyes returned to the sky.

Time slowly passed, as they were lying in silence, one's eyes looking to the other's every now and then. Mercury was wrong- well, those thoughts he had were wrong. He didn't know what exactly caused those thoughts, but Sly's words... they were empowering. He didn't want to stir up any trouble. He even helped him back in.

"Thanks, Sly... -for bringing me back.", the raccoon stared at Mercury in silence for a moment. "'Back' isn't the word I'd use. Bringing you back- that would have been us at the hideout, with Murray and Bentley.", Mercury's gaze was unsure for a moment, tilting towards Sly. "I brought you 'back', because you seem to want it. I don't know why you want or need to return here, but I respect your choice. That's why I brought you 'back'.", for a fragment of a second there was a frown on Sly's eyebrows, as his eyes returned to his friend's.

Sly didn't want to convey a negative vibe though, as his gaze slowly changed back to a reassuring look. Mercury nodded, Sly relieved he understood. "I told you before though. Besides 'wanting' to stay here to protect you guys, I 'need' to stay here to find out more about my parents. Ever since the general talked about them, it bothered me. I never had the chance to question him further about them. You understand... right, Sly?", Mercury hoped he would, watching Sly closely.

Sure enough the raccoon nodded back at him. It was weird though, as far as Sly could recall he never mentioned the fact, that the general knew of his parents. Sly would have been more understanding from the beginning, if he had known. "There's also the lepidoptera. Amy probably explained it to you already.", it suddenly turned some valves in Mercury- was that thing making him feel this way- was it forcing those thoughts onto him? Mercury saw the raccoon smile back at him brightly, "Yeah- you're finally going through puberty."

Mercury didn't know what was worse- the thought that strangling him no longer seemed like such a bad idea or that he sort of was right. With his cheeks slightly reddened he turned his attention back to Sly. "I hate you sometimes.", Sly just put on his usual and well known smile. "If it's only sometimes, that's good enough in my book.", Mercury saw him lie back, a proud grin on his lips as he closed his eyes.

 _Yeah, sometimes- but other times..._ Mercury often wondered if Sly knew how he really thought about him. "If I ever-", his voice suddenly stopped, Sly's eyes opening back up to look at him. "...if I should act up again, just tell me. Sometimes things come through that I don't really mean the way I say it. But when I can talk to you, I feel like 'I' can break through those thoughts.", _just like I did right now._

He saw the striped raccoon smile back at him. "Oh so you meant to say 'I love you sometimes'?-", Sly's smile only grew bigger, all the while Mercury turning slightly red. "...- sorry, I know what you meant and I think I know what you want to say. Such a little 'monster' is in everybody. True, it's not the same as yours, but it still acts the same way. I'm ready for whatever you could throw at me.", Sly looked over at the raccoon, face shrouded in red. "I hate you.", _...sometimes._

"If your world stopped spinning yet, I think we should finally head over to the medical bay, what do you say?", Mercury averted his gaze, but nodded. Sly got up, stretching for a long moment. In the corner of his eyes, Sly noticed the attempt of a struggling raccoon to get on his feet. He managed so far, getting into a sitting position, but couldn't go much further from there.

Mercury noticed Sly get closer, kneeling beside him, his hand pointing on his back. It took Mercury a moment to understand what his intention was. "I don't want a piggyback ride.", Sly chuckled and got closer, grasping one of Mercury's arms. "I think, what you meant to say is: I might not want it, but since I can barely get on my own feet, I can't possibly argue that I don't need it.", was Sly seriously turning his own words against him? Mercury puffed up his cheeks, looking away from the raccoon as he picked him up. _Fair enough._

When Mercury turned his head back to Sly, he noticed his lips changing into a wide grin. As Sly turned his head towards him, Mercury's cheeks puffed up again. Sly walked the two of them towards the medical bay. He slowly rested his head on Sly's shoulder. The raccoon carrying him noticed Mercury's gaze trailing over the side of his face, ending on his forehead. One of Mercury's hands took off Sly's hat.

Sly questioned for a moment what he was doing, seeing Mercury's eyes look back into his."So- do I look more stunning with- or without the hat?", his charming smile was quickly shut down by Mercury, pushing the hat back on his head. He rested his head on Sly's shoulder again, looking at him. "I was just thinking that it's a little irresponsible of Bentley to trust you, out of all people, with explosives.", a quick chuckle came through his lips, as he turned to Mercury.

"Hey- like you're any more trustworthy with explosives than I am!", Mercury kept playing with his hat, adjusting it to a proper position on Sly's head. The way he looked back at him, that smile, those eyes- the hat even- it was extremely cute. Hat or not- Sly would always look stunning. "I'd say I have proven myself back at Muggshot's. By the way that hat suits you perfectly- mind giving me your cane for a moment?", Sly frowned at his sudden awe expression, his hand subconsciously grabbing for his cane.

With one hand on his cane he looked back at Mercury, noticing him smile almost devilishly through the palm of his hand. Sly quickly caught on to what he was playing at. "Oh, very funny- trustworthy my behind.", Sly puffed out some air through his nose, readjusting his hold on the other raccoon. Mercury chuckled, placing his head back down on his shoulder. They turned around the final corner, the medical bay only a few steps away.

Sly stopped and checked some rooms, trying to remember which room Mercury escaped from. He quickly asked a passing by nurse, the nurse sending them to the right room. Sly turned the knob, leaning in and inspecting the room shortly before carrying Mercury over to the bed. Halfway over they noticed a soft snoring noise, seemingly emitting from somewhere near the bed. Standing at the end of the bed, the raccoons looked over Amy, seated in a chair, head resting on the top half of the bed.

A sudden gust of wind came through the window. It showed just how cold it has gotten over night, especially in the room. Amy must be freezing. Before they had the chance to think about such things though, the loud bang of the door shutting close echoed through the room. The mouse was quickly awake, not long after noticing the two raccoons staring at her. She coughed slightly, straightening her clothes as she got up. Amy gestured Sly past her, so he could put Mercury down.

Through her yawn, she watched the two, the way Mercury slowly dropped on the bed. "Sorry, I guess I must have fallen asleep after waiting a bit for you guys. Raz said I shouldn't interrupt you, so I chose to wait here- in case you needed anything.", clearly she was still a little sleepy, blinking more than usual, her eyes looking strained- sometimes shutting again.

She looked at her watch, clearly surprised by how much time she must have spent sleeping. "Oh wow, that's longer than I thought.", now she seemed to be shaken awake completely, quickly rubbing over her eyes. "It was a rough night, if you want go get some more sleep. I'll stay here with Mercury.", the mouse looked at Sly, seeing his clothes messed up more than she remembered. The same with Mercury, but he still had some visible blood smears that had remained on him- some tracing down his ear.

"Are you guys alright? A rough night no kidding. What happened on that tower?", Sly started mumbling slightly, Amy walking to Mercury, inspecting him further. She traced over Mercury's wounded ears, a soft whimper escaping his lips. Sly was still formulating in his head, the mouse seemingly more interesting in treating Mercury right now... thankfully.

"It's alright Sly, you two get some sleep soon. I'll go get a nurse to look at Mercury, his ear needs some immediate treatment, but otherwise it's not too bad. We can talk in the morning. I still had some work to do anyway- no way I can go back to sleep tonight.", with that she was already through the door. Some minutes after that, a nurse entered the room, applying the much needed treatment to Mercury.

The room was soon in silence again, the two raccoons by themselves. "I didn't know what to say to her. You got an idea for tomorrow?", Mercury looked at the questioning raccoon for a moment. Mercury traced over his newly placed bandages, feeling quite compressed in them. "Don't worry, I know just the thing.", Sly suddenly seemed intrigued and clearly relieved. The silence set back in, one raccoon falling asleep soon after, as the other was about to follow, a soft beeping emitted from Sly's backpack.

Sly jumped out the window, walking a few steps so he wouldn't attract a lot of attention. Through his Binocucom he saw Murray and Bentley have returned safely to the hideout. "What's up, guys?", he yawned slightly, the turtle looking back at him. "I've just started my localization-scanning-systems. Eyes are now open for Mz. Ruby. I just wanted to let you know. I'll contact you as soon as I know something.", Sly nodded at his turtle friend.

"Thanks Bentley, you guys have a good night.", after the short transmission Sly walked back towards the window, entering the room again. He seated himself in a chair close to Mercury, listening to his soft breathing. It was kind of soothing. Yet, something told Sly it wouldn't always stay so calm with him in the future. A simple feeling maybe. Sly lost his train of thought, soon taken away by his dreams.

 **End of Chapter eighteen.**


	19. Backstory: Dirt And Dust

**Sly Cooper and the Thievius Raccoonus  
(Yaoi Fan Fiction)**

 **Back-story: Chapter 6**

 **For disclaimer : I do not own Sly Cooper or any of their Characters.**

Mercury's eyes opened to an empty chair, soft winds circling the room. His head raised just slightly, scanning the room for the other raccoon. It was morning- or slightly past morning for that matter. The breeze luckily wasn't as freezing anymore, even though Mercury was only sporting a t-shirt. If only he had- _oh..._ His eyes scanned the end of the bed, noticing something folded up nicely. When he grabbed for it and raised it up, two arms dropped at each side. Not a hoodie- his hoodie... but it'll do for now.

Through the open door Mercury heard some weird commotion. It sounded like someone quite literally crashed into someone or something and tried to hide the fact it happened at all, quickly cleaning everything up. The figure hopped into his room, its quickly paced steps suggesting that they indeed caused the commotion. "Amy? Did something happen? Are you alright?", with slight worry he kept his eyes on her, until she stopped at the end of the bed.

The mouse straightened her clothing, clearing her throat loudly. Amy threw him a quick dismissive look. "Don't worry about me. Just a little bump- you look much better today.", he chose to play his part and ignore it until further notice. "I was looking around for Sly, I had hoped to see if he was still with you. Did you just wake up?", she slowly walked up to his side, tilting his head slightly to see his ear.

"Yeah, woke up just now.", any further statement was promptly interrupted by Mercury's stomach growling loudly. Mercury could hear Amy chuckle, as she turned his slightly red cheeks towards her face. "If your legs are up for it, feel like grabbing a snack?", the answer was a given, at least to the second half.

In one swift motion he donned the pullover, noticing it was much larger than it seemed at first. Scooting to the edge of the bed, his eyes went to Amy, smiling shortly. His legs were a lot better, at least in comparison to the wobbly and unsteady state they were in yesterday. From there Amy supported him on her shoulder, helping him stand up. "How does it feel?", his head nodded at her- it worked, even if slightly uncomfortable, that's all that mattered for now.

From there they slowly made their way around the bed, hoping Mercury could gain some proper feeling in his legs. Out of the corner of his eye, Mercury could see Amy practically study him. From the look in her eyes, he already knew there was no way around it. Her look suddenly changed, as her eyes met his. "I know, I know. I'm making those eyes again. It's just kind of obvious that yesterday seemed to be a bigger event than I imagined.", he chuckled softly, the two almost falling off to their side, before the bed caught them.

On their way to the cafeteria. Mercury's legs finally caught on to their usual task of taking him places, feeling much better now, since they are back in motion. With a very strange craving for hot dogs, Mercury walked in through the cafeteria door, Amy still at his side. It was quite packed inside, which was strange for this time of day, but maybe it was just another of the general's meetings that changed everyone's schedule.

A smaller hand on his chest stopped him from walking further, quickly turning to him. "I'll get us both something to eat, grab us a free seat somewhere, yeah?", Mercury nodded, starting to make his way through the masses. He recognized some faces, but also passed by others he has never seen before. Finally finding a place where it was somewhat empty, he sat down, simply twiddling with his thumbs. A strange sensation caught on to him, like someone was staring at him. And indeed someone was, as his head lifted and turned.

Luckily it was a familiar face, one of Sly's group. Vernell and Mason were in here, too. The fox waved and smiled, Mason just watched with his usual unappeased and dismissive gaze, quickly getting back to his newspaper. Mercury waved them over, wondering where the third in their pack went. Greg was it, at least Mercury believed that he heard Mason call him by that name.

Vernell sat down next to him, Mason opposite of the fox. "I heard you were in the medical wing all night again, are you feeling better?", Mason snorted at the fox's words. "What gives that you're in there so often? You should maybe just relocate and stay there.", Vernell turned to Mason with an almost angry glare. Mason put his newspaper down and leaned back slightly, feeling the heat steaming off from the fox. Mercury couldn't help but smile and chuckle softly at his words.

Vernell broke the glare, as he and Mason watched Mercury laugh. "See, he liked it. It was just a joke after all.", Vernell threw Mason a shortened version of his glare, before getting back to Mercury. "I'm fine thank you. Say you guys- where is the rest of your squad? Greg or even Sl- ...Sam?", Mason picked up a toothpick, playing around with it in his mouth.

"Greg is actually with his family right now. He never took off any time the last year, so the general was kind enough to spare him for like two weeks. Especially with the new guy in our squad the general practically ordered him home.", he shrugged, cleaning his teeth. "Don't know where Sam went off to- said something about wanting to speed things up a little.", _wanting to speed things up?_ Mercury had no idea what he was planning, but he had a bad feeling. One besides the growling of hunger.

A loud crashing sound set them all straight, Mason almost swallowing his toothpick. Amy let the other plate crash down in front of Mercury, as she sat down with a dark gaze, her face turned away from the table. It was creepy. Especially the following silence. No one said anything for a moment, as they just exchanged eye contact. "I guess we aren't wanted here right now, let's go Vernell.", he looked to the side, only seeing a quarter of Amy's face, but he could tell something weird was going on. Vernell was a little slower, checking her features a moment longer and waving to Mercury, before he left.

After they were gone, Mercury took a moment to clear his throat and gain enough courage to wave a hand in front of her face. "Oh- ...Oh! I did it again, didn't I?", her hands grasped the sides of her head, seemingly wanting to hide her head inside her top. Mercury wasn't sure of what she was referring to. He has never seen her like this before. "It's... I- damn that fox.", if yet quite unclear, it obviously had to do with Vernell.

It took him another moment to notice her flushed cheeks. _Oooh..._ Amy could tell from Mercury's expression and following smile he quickly grasped what she wanted to say. His head tilted into his palm, eagerly studying her further. "Go on.", she looked from side to side, unsure of what to actually say. "Nevermind that now. We have more urgent things to talk about.", she shook and cleared her head. Mercury looked defeated for a moment, he was really looking forward to that talk.

"It's true- we have more important things to talk about.", her eyes caught those of Vernell, as the two of them exited the cafeteria. Her heart thumped a little stronger and Mercury could only smile brightly at her confused state of expression. She took a few deep breaths, trying to avoid Mercury's eye contact. Once her mind was clear, she looked back into his eyes.

"Yesterday... tell me everything.", her eyes lit up in excitement. Mercury was contemplating where to begin, he understood Sly's worry of getting someone involved. At the same time he knew Amy could be trusted. Still... it needed to be in the right approach. "Amy you said that you would help me find my place in the team, right?", a little taken back, she simply nodded at him. He was fidgeting with his thumbs, his eyes darting around.

How would he even start explaining? He worked through his thoughts, his eyes scanning Amy's features carefully. Out of the corner of his eyes, he viewed the newspaper that Mason left behind. The headline, 'Hot Stuff With A Badge Collars Canine Criminal!', easily sticking out. "Do you want to get Sly first? Maybe he can help you collect your thoughts?", she put some grapes in her mouth, still awaiting Mercury to continue.

Mercury's eyes darted from the newspaper over to Amy, before going back to the papers. She noticed his hands slowly spreading out the newspaper, her eyes reading over the headline. "Well that's a mouthful. Inspector Fox really is cut out for her job.", Amy caught the way his eyes changed, as she mentioned Interpol's head officer.

"You know Officer Fox?", they exchanged a quick gaze, Mercury trying to stay cool. "Sort of, I would say – Interpol and some of our units sometimes cooperated during some inner city missions. She sometimes visits our base – the basic stuff, exchanging intel or to use our database to cover any missing files in Interpol's.", Mercury's mouth slightly opened, trying to swallow the dryness in his mouth.

She scratched along her ear for a moment, waiting for him to continue. His mimics made it quite clear that the headline had a connection with his hesitation to finally spill the beans. "So now tell me, does this have anything to do with yesterdays event? You seem a little too focused on the hot stuff who collared a canine criminal.", she smiled throughout her sentence, picking up a few more grapes. Mercury felt like a cold sweat ran down his entire back.

"You know of the fiendish five?", Mercury could see Amy's eyes narrow shortly, as she simply kept chewing. "Of course – I've read Sly's file, it would be a shocker if I didn't.", Mercury just silently looked at her, kind of surprised that she actually did. Amy playfully rolled her eyes, smiling at the raccoon. "I had some free time and wanted to find out more about one of our newest members, don't blame me.", she gestured him to continue, eagerly awaiting his story.

"Amy, I'll be honest. I need your help. It was Sly and me who took down Muggshot.", 'cough', the grape evidently went down the wrong pipe, as Amy stared down Mercury. He looked at her quite worried, while she was still trying to figure out the punchline. It took a moment for her to recover herself, her eyes steadying on the quite worried Mercury. Their silent eye contact continued for a long moment, Amy now able to clarify, that he indeed was not joking. She looked through the crowd for a moment, before getting up.

She paced around the table, grabbing some food off of Mercury's tray. She stuffed a banana in his mouth, taking his hand and dragging him to the exit. She quickly shut the door behind them and eyed the raccoon. Her eyes were conveying a vibe of dubiousness, her soft attempt of a smile only strengthening her disbelief.

"You're telling me **YOU** took down Muggshot.", Mercury took a moment to finish the food she had forced in his mouth. "Yes, Sly and me.", Mercury looked at the mouse, she was leaning back against the wall. A hand rubbed over her forehead, maintaining eye contact to the raccoon. Mercury was unsure of how to read the situation, only able to hope she took it the right way.

She straightened herself, taking a deep breath, before calmly walking over to him. The raccoon looked in her face, unable to clearly read her expression, as her hands turned his face to look directly in her eyes. Her finger softly went along the side of his eye. He could see her eyes trailing from his eyes to his ear. Mercury could see the gears turning in Amy's head.

"Did you use it yesterday – against Muggshot?", that was a yes and no, Mercury shrugging at first. "Not against Muggshot, no. But yes, I seem to have used it yesterday. How do you know?", she showed a very short, fading smile, as her features showed deep worry. "I can't believe you guys – you're nuts. I'm glad you returned safely.", her arms wrapped around his back, embracing him wholesomely.

Mercury hugged her back, smiling and now certain he had found a true ally within the walls. She let go slowly, turning to face him again. "And I knew, because I'm simply that good.", Mercury smiled at her, as she was clearly trying to hide her smug grin. "Well to be honest, I've had some theories since yesterday. The nurse made it quite simple for me. She mentioned that you wounded your ear earlier that night, but the eardrum bursted far later.", Mercury couldn't quite follow her train of thought, eyeing her closely with a smile.

"You see it all leads to Sly-", it very quickly dawned on Mercury, that he had forgotten a very small detail about his friend. He practically burst through Amy's thoughts, like he bursted into a conference call. "Hold up! Hold up, hold up. I had almost forgotten what Mason said before. Amy, Sly was planing something – Mason mentioned something like 'speeding things up'. Do you know what he could mean?", even though it was obvious she was kind of sad, not being able to present her thoughts, she thought the message over, only able to shrug.

"Maybe it's about something you two discussed yesterday?", that got Mercury's gears turning quickly, as he turned back to the mouse. "Amy, where are all the soldiers files being kept?", Amy's hand went to her mouth. "You don't think Sly would... that's off limit. If he gets caught he'd be in deep trouble.", _sounds just like Sly to me._

Mercury followed Amy like a shadow, darting through hallway after hallway. "No wonder I haven't seen him all day. He probably scouted around for the building and then a way in.", Mercury's eyes followed Amy, as she was stepping ahead. A thought lingered on his lips, Mercury unsure of the idea of releasing it. His throat tightened momentarily, as he swallowed.

"Amy, you might not even remember...", _this is dumb_ , Amy's head turned slightly in his view, "A while back I said, that I only wanted to stay because of the mystery behind my parents.", her gaze was still on him, nodding at him, after he was silent for a while. "I just wanted to say... I didn't mean it. I'm glad to be a part of this squad and...", a bright smile was on her lips, he didn't have to say anything else, the warmth of his words was enough.

She stopped in front of a corner, hushing the raccoon still scrambling with his sentences. "The files are under increased surveillance as of recently. Someone tried to take off with a lot of detailed information. The general is growing anxious, I can imagine why. Something bad is in the works.", Mercury couldn't understand to the extend that Amy could, watching the guards keeping the doors shut tight.

"Let's just hope our 'master-thief' was smart enough to not directly talk to the guards, otherwise he was probably set on a watch list. Stay put.", Amy rushed over to the guards, trying to appeal to them with the utmost of her innocence. Sadly to no avail, as she walked back over and around the corner. "This is bad. The general seems to be paranoid enough to even prevent his closer circle of trusted soldiers entrance.", Amy looked around the corner once more.

"Sly's the type who doesn't mind getting dirty. Is there a way in through a vent system or something?", he saw Amy turn to him, struggling to keep a straight face. "I'm sure you would know all about that?", Mercury was confused, staring at her struggle for a moment longer. "Know about what?", she just shook her hand, a smile now clearly evident.

She pointed upwards, Mercury's eyes following her movement. "There is a vent entrance, wouldn't know if we can fit through though – it really is a tight fit. But you did say that Sly likes to get dirty, so...", her lips once again grew into a wide grin, leaving Mercury still a little confused. It finally clicked, just as Amy crouched behind the next wall.

"Oh my God, **Amy!** ", he himself couldn't keep a straight face either. That's not exactly what he meant. Amy turned around the corner so the guards didn't have clear sight over them. When the coast was clear, the two ascended a pair of pipes, gaining them access to the rooftop. The mouse stopped in front of the vent entrance, feeling around the loosened screws at the edges.

"Seems like your intuition proved you right – someone came through here. Whether it was Sly or-", she quickly went silent, as noise emitted from the far end of the vent. The two looked at each other, before quickly entering and guiding their way through the dark and tight space. Mercury barely had space to move, seeing the mouse ahead move at a much faster pace.

Her headlight was the only thing making the crawling bearable. Even though Mercury wasn't claustrophobic, this little space would make everyone uncomfortable, especially the thought of getting stuck. Mercury saw Amy slow down, seemingly reaching the end of the duct system. " -", it seemed that the sound they heard was the sound of a struggle. And not the struggle of just anyone. Around the edges of the mouse, Mercury could see Sly's familiar pattern.

"Are you serious, you got stuck here while trying to rob the military? You know that this is a huge kind of deal, right?", even though they couldn't see it clearly, they still heard the relief in Sly's voice. "Fancy meeting you two here. They really should dust this place more often, shouldn't they? I'm completely covered! The general personally gave me the order to do so. So what are you two up to?", Amy plucked Sly's stuck clothing from the vent surface.

"We are here to stop you from getting into deep, deep trouble. What do you expect to happen when they find you?", Sly shrugged it off, laughing slightly. "The same I do with every job that slightly escalates. Improvise.", Mercury didn't even have to see his face, he knew exactly what kind of smile he was pulling right now.

Amy was done plucking Sly free from the vent, as he continued crawling. "Sly!-", Mercury felt Amy push back slightly, stopping him from going onward. "I'm not usually the one to intervene, but maybe we should just go with it. You do want the answers to all the questions about your parents, right? The general isn't one to easily leak information to anyone, this could be a good opportunity.", Mercury thought it over for a moment, silently puffing out some air.

"And someone like you is part of the general's close circle of trust?", Amy tried to keep her laugh silent, as the two crawled after Sly. "Nobody is perfect.", the two quickly caught up to Sly, who already tried to undo the screws around the cover of the duct. He dropped with it, barely making a sound, gesturing for the others to jump down. Amy slipped out the exit, landing in Sly's arms. Mercury quickly followed, keeping the landing as silent as possible.

He watched Sly's lips form his usual grin only that he seemed even more excited that usual. _He's really getting a kick from this._ The trio looked through the rows of folders, following them to the letter 'A'. As Amy started checking through the cabinet, Mercury grew nervous. Could a simple folder truly answer all of his questions?

"Huh – weird...", Mercury snapped out of it, watching the mouse pan through the files again. "What is it?", once she was done the second time, the mouse turned to the pair of raccoons. "You still go by the name of 'Avion', right? Your file isn't anywhere to be found.", Mercury's eyes went over to Sly and then back to the mouse. "Maybe I'm not completely in the system, yet?", Amy shook her head.

"You came here quite some time ago, the files don't take this long to accumulate.", she turned her head to the back, looking at the last row of cabinets. "Maybe back there.", they followed her finger, pointing at the far back. The cabinet looked quite out of place, standing on its own almost in the middle of the room.

"I told you that someone tried to take off with detailed information of some personal. That's the reason for the increased activity at the gate. Perhaps these are the folders being kept separately. The general is probably checking whether they are incomplete or if something was destroyed.", the raccoon almost eagerly stepped towards the cabinet, the two raccoons both stopped by Amy's arms.

"Guys, for someone who probably does this a lot, your way of approach is way too naive. It could be linked to an alarm or even be booby trapped.", the two stepped back slightly, seeing her pull out a small gadget. As soon as her finger hit the small switch, they heard the fading sound of sizzling. "Like I said, booby trapped. Luckily the general is a stickinthemud kind of person, when we're talking frequency at least. I've allowed myself to sometimes deactivate some of his toys.", she winked at the two, putting her gadget away.

"You really are something. I bet Bentley would love to take a look at some of your stuff.", Amy smiled back at Sly. "This is nothing, you should have seen some of the stuff my father used to build. I guess creativity ran in the family.", Sly was sure there was a reason she said 'ran' rather than the usual 'runs'. His eyes went over to Mercury, who must have thought the exact same. Amy broke the moment of silence quickly by grabbing a hold of the cabinet to start searching.

Surely enough they found a lot of folders which seemed to be taken out of the 'A' section, others like Raz's and even Amy's had been taken, too. "Intriguing, but- still no sign of your folder. If it aint here, that can only mean one thing.", the sound of a metal creaking caught the trio's attention, as Mercury was first to act. He pushed Sly behind one of the back row cabinets. Fairly certain this would hide him from view, he stood next to Amy, nervously staring at the entrance.

The figure slowly stepping into view was no other than the general himself. He gestured the guards to close the doors, as he continued down the room. They could see him turn the pages of the folder in his hands, almost like he had not noticed them. This time it was Amy's turn, looking over Mercury's side, seeing him slightly shake. She dared to step forward, "Sir-", a hand of the general lifted, quickly shutting her down.

"No need to explain, sergeant Falconer. I know why you are here and I have to mention- an impressive use of your gadgets, as always.", almost flattered she took a step back, leaving the shaking Mercury in front of her. "We still need to have a talk after this.", the mouse let out a soft tone of agreement. Mercury's shaking finally stopped, as he took a step forward. The general stopped in his tracks, arms folded in front of him, holding the folder inside.

Mercury eyed it eagerly, his eyes scanning the doberman closely. "General... I need to know... what is inside that folder?", the general stood straight, his eyes narrowing slightly, all the while keeping eye contact to Mercury. "Is the information inside really desirable enough to not only break and enter an off limit area, but possibly take off with the stashed info afterwards? Is this how you grew up - under the influence of thieves?", Mercury's gaze fell, his arms loosely at his sides.

"Mercury, your parents died for you, to make sure you get to live life to its fullest. Don't throw away the gift of life by taking the wrong turns.", Mercury's eyes locked with the general's. "Now get out, both of you.", the general held out an awaiting arm for them, guiding them towards the entrance.

They almost reached the end of the room, as the general suddenly stopped. "Oh, almost forgot.", he went over to the 'C' section, opening the cabinet. Mercury and Amy eyed the general momentarily. "Sir? I believe Mercury's file belongs in the 'A' section?", the general's movement stopped, his hands closing the cabinet slowly. The following eye contact general Ephilus made with Mercury was best described as him studying the raccoon. It only broke, once he reached the 'A' section.

"You're right, Falconer. I guess everyone forgets something once in a while.", his arm once again gestured them towards the door, only briefly linking his eyes to Mercury again. Before he forgot, Mercury checked back to look at Sly, the other raccoon following them silently, cabinet after cabinet. The raccoon gestured Sly to take the high route, as the vent would prove as the safer exit option.

Once outside, the guards saluted the general which he quickly nodded at, waiting for the other two to exit the building. "Promise me, Mercury, that you don't try to attempt to breach this sector once again. I've faith in you.", the general had his hand on Mercury's shoulder, giving him a warm smile. Mercury mirrored the smile, swiftly nodding in return. The general had already giving him some fodder for thought with his little 'mishap'. He'd have to go over that first, before continuing his search.

"Right, before I forget. You're with me, Falconer.", Amy saluted the general, quickly waving back at Mercury, before they took off. Mercury wandered the hallway alone for the time being, his hand scratching at his chin, deeply in thought. So deep, that he completely overlooked the other raccoon right in front of him. ***Bonk*** _Ow._

Mercury painfully looked up, seeing Sly rub over his own forehead. "My guess is either you were in deep thought or I should give Bentley a call and ask for his glasses.", the raccoon remained mostly silent, apart from muttering a small excuse me under his breath. Sly stayed on his tracks, pacing alongside Mercury. "Sorry for getting you that lecture, but his visit really came unexpected.", the raccoon seemed like in a trance once more, Sly being less than effective getting him out of it.

The smell of the cafeteria nearby caught Sly's senses, Mercury barely hearing him say something before disappearing to catch some food. The raccoon was less interested, Mercury had enough to chew on. All by himself he slowly tread his way down the hallway, steadily walking towards their quarters. His train of thought was only shortly interrupted, his eyes trailing back towards the cafeteria. _A hot dog would be nice._

 **End of Chapter nineteen.**


End file.
